Sean and Rebecca Hutchinson
As a La Salle University freshman in 2008, Rebecca Hutchinson spent nearly a month in Tanzania teaching English to students and became close to one, Edward, who was about 17.
The following year, she returned to Tanzania and reconnected with Edward, who taught her something life changing: “English is everything,” he told her. “It’s the language of the world, of business. To make it, you need to know English.”
That, said the Fox Chase resident, made her switch her career goal from teaching Italian to teaching English as a second language. She has received a Fulbright Program scholarship for 2015–16 to teach English in a university setting in Turkey starting next fall.
“That trip to Africa was a life-changing experience that ultimately made me alter my career choice,” said Hutchinson, who earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education and Italian from La Salle in 2011 and her master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages this past January.
“When I was teaching in Tanzania, I felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do for the rest of my life. I decided to pursue my master’s in TESOL, and once I graduated with that degree, I knew I was not ready to stay in the United States. I wanted to teach abroad for a longer period of time and I decided a Fulbright, although extremely competitive and a challenging process, was the perfect opportunity that would allow me to fulfill my dream.”
Hutchinson and her future husband, Sean, met as part of a team of La Salle students who traveled to Tanzania to teach.
Sean Hutchinson is now community service coordinator in the office of University Ministry and Service at La Salle. He graduated from La Salle in 2010 with a degree in sociology and criminal justice. After Rebecca graduated in 2011, they married later that year.
Hsiao-Ping Biehl, associate professor of Spanish at La Salle, was Hutchinson’s adviser on the application process. She said, “When Rebecca told me she was pursuing a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Turkey, I knew she would get it. Since I have known Rebecca, she has dedicated all of her time to teach English to those who need it the most: people who need to escape poverty, and believe learning English is the tool to succeed in life. Rebecca Hutchinson embodies the Lasallian values of emphasis on good teaching and direct service to the poor and a heightened sensitivity to their needs.” ••
