“Our world is increasingly interconnected. From the food we buy to the media we consume, it is not local, it is global. It’s vital that our students understand the people and the cultures that these things originate in.”
—Dr. Karen Newman, Retired Assistant Director for Fellowships, University of Indianapolis Deacon Fountain teaching in Ourense, Spain (above) and standing beside the Minho River (right) AMBASSADORS To 400 young students in Gimhae, Korea, Emma Knaack ’24
absolute favorite part is the kids she works with. “I’m the fun American teacher, and I’m the class that they look forward to,” said Knaack. “I’m able to show the students that English can be fun. When I’m around the school I’m a celebrity among the kids, especially when I had my pink hair.” Fountain was drawn to the Fulbright scholarship as a way to connect to his knowledge of the Spanish language and to explore an interest in international diplomacy. He wants a career where he can be a positive force for good—whether at a nonprofit or in local government. He’s been pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoys the teaching aspect of the position. “It’s important to challenge yourself,” said Fountain. “Part of the reason I applied in the first place was the challenge of discovering if I could be successful in getting the grant, and now to be successful as a teacher and cultural ambassador.” Both Fountain and Knaack were mentored by Dr. Karen Newman, who retired in December as assistant director for fellowships at the University of Indianapolis. Her position was to promote all nationally competitive scholarship opportunities for UIndy students, coach them through the application process, and give feedback on all the associated essays. There was no person
(Professional Writing, Creative Writing) is the embodiment of the United States of America. And 6,344 miles away across the globe, Deacon Fountain ’24 (International Relations) plays the same role to 150 adult learners at a vocational school in Ourense, Spain. Beyond just teaching lessons about English and American society, they are prestigious Fulbright scholars. Their job: serve as cultural ambassadors, fostering deeper connections and bridging the gap between countries. For Knaack, who has always enjoyed Korean culture but had never been outside the country, the experience has been transformative already. She’s joined a teacher’s volleyball team with her Korean colleagues, even though she’s never played the sport before. “It shows that you can really connect with people despite language barriers,” said Knaack. “Most of them don’t speak any English, but I still feel so close to them already.” It’s not always been easy—like when she got sick and needed to visit the doctor several times. But that only gave her the opportunity to witness the kindness of strangers who worked hard to make sure she understood what was happening. Her
UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS 8 UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
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