Recent Ogden Honors College Graduate receives Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to work in Spain

The LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College is proud to announce that Bridget Seghers has been selected by the Fulbright Program to receive the English Teaching Assistant Award.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to the local English teachers. ETAs help teach the English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S.

Applicants for study/research awards design their own projects and will typically work with advisers at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education.

Bridget Seghers, of Covington, La., was an Interdisciplinary Studies major with minors in Political Science, Linguistics, and Animal Sciences.  She will be heading to Spain as an English Teaching Assistant.

Seghers, as a Louisiana native with Cajun roots, has always been interested in cultural exchange.  As a wetlands outreach educator, Seghers realized how much she loves the art of teaching and how essential teachers are in empowering others to engage with the world around us.  She credits her upbringing and her continual service to the community for shaping her personal identity.  Simply “being a Louisianian” has given her experiences that Seghers says “cannot be replicated anywhere else in my country.”  

“Cultivating cultural understanding and respecting differences became important to me when I considered my future career goals,” said Seghers.  “Since childhood, I’d wanted to be a veterinarian that treated farm animals and wildlife, but coming to college expanded my goals.  I learned about the field of global environmental health and how professionals work across borders to prevent disease, protect biodiversity, and reduce conflicts between people, animals, and nature.”

During her time in Spain, Seghers plans to tackle youth leadership and environmental outreach experiences, both of which previously shaped her love for teaching and ambassadorship.  When asked what she was most looking forward to as a Fulbright Scholar, Seghers said, “I’m always seeking a more accurate image of how vast and unique our world and the people who occupy it are.  I’m excited for the new folks that Fulbright will bring into my life—from my fellow Fulbrighters to my future students and my new teaching colleagues.  I feel very grateful, and I hope to leave a positive impact on my host community, and I can’t wait to explore its history, culture, and languages.”

Upon her return to the United States, Seghers plans to pursue a masters degree in global health and sustainable development.  This degree will allow her to research considerations in health equity, ethics, and global politics before seeking work with national and international agencies such as the US Agency for International Development and the UN Development Program.