APSU alumna earns Fulbright Fellowship to teach English in Austria

By: Ethan Steinquest May 6, 2024

APSU alumna Patricia Angel immerses herself in a study session at the Woodward Library. | Photo by Sean McCully

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - When Patricia Angel first set foot in her high school German class, she had no idea it would kickstart a journey across the globe to teach English in Austria.

Angel, a first-generation college student who graduated from Austin Peay State University’s Department of Languages and Literature on May 3, is heading abroad this fall to spend a year as a teaching assistant in two Austrian secondary schools. This opportunity is offered through the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) in partnership with Fulbright Austria.

“The program focuses on cultural exchange because some of these students may never have met an American,” Angel said. “At the same time, I’ll be getting all this information and experience about Austrian culture … [along with] teaching experience and networking opportunities that can open up doors to so many places across the world.”

To earn her placement as a Fulbright Fellow, Angel submitted her resume, personal statement, grades and language proficiency, along with two letters of recommendation.

“I was honestly a little scared,” she said. “I knew that life is so much more comfortable when I speak the language fluently … so a part of me was shooting myself in the foot because I was afraid to go and to succeed.”

However, Angel persevered and was accepted into the program in April. Although she said the situation still feels unreal, she looks forward to her trip a bit more each day.

“I feel like it takes a while for something like this to sink in, and I gradually become more comfortable with it,” she said. “The people around me are more excited than I am at the moment, but I’ve been able to enjoy it from their perspective and see that I’ve worked so hard to accomplish this.”

Dr. Beatrix Brockman, professor and chair of the Department of Languages and Literature, mentored Angel throughout her undergraduate career and helped her connect with multiple opportunities to grow her German proficiency.

“Patricia doesn’t like to brag about her accomplishments, but as a first-generation student, she has impressed me again and again with her intellectual curiosity,” Brockman said. “I am immensely proud that she was chosen as a Fulbright teaching fellow and will represent APSU in classrooms of English learners in Klagenfurt, Austria.”

As a lifelong reader, Patricia Angel enjoys learning more about other cultures so she can engage with international authors. | Photo by Sean McCully

‘New perspectives:’ English education inspires Angel’s teaching journey

Angel plans to find a job teaching German, English and potentially Spanish after finishing the program. She was inspired by her own experience learning English as the daughter of immigrant parents.

“My parents were born and raised in Mexico,” she said. “My mom didn't graduate past third grade, and I think the emphasis was on child-rearing and being a housewife. My dad went to ninth grade for a short while, and then he said it wasn't for him, so he stopped.”

Since Angel’s parents aren’t fluent English speakers, she picked up the language through school, public conversations and television shows like “Dora the Explorer.” From an early age, she found a passion for learning and looked forward to attending class.

“That opened up new perspectives for me that my parents were never exposed to,” she said. “It also separated me from them in the sense that it was an experience where I couldn't relate to them, but it gave me a deep appreciation for learning and my teachers.”

Angel soon discovered that the skills she learned from her teachers could also make a difference for her loved ones.

“I grew up in Clarksville, but I'd go back to Mexico every summer for two months and every winter for one month,” she said. “When I was younger, I would try to teach my cousins in Mexico how to speak English, and that’s when I realized I liked teaching. Between the ages of 9 and 11, I was making flashcards for them to memorize things.”

APSU alumna Patricia Angel on an exchange trip to Bamberg, Germany during her time as an undergraduate student. | Contributed photo

‘Rich connections:’ Discovering a passion for German language and culture

Angel’s talent for learning new languages became even clearer when she enrolled in a German class at West Creek High School. She chose German simply because the alternatives - Spanish and Latin - were too familiar, but she quickly developed a passion for the subject.

“I enjoyed it so much that I just kept on going,” she said. I told myself I would learn German to the best of my ability, so I spent the summer after my freshman year studying. I bought books and looked at YouTube videos, and when I came back, the teacher was really impressed and said I should study in Germany.”

Austin Peay allowed her to do just that by connecting her with unique study opportunities, including a seven-week German immersion program at Middlebury Language Schools in Vermont and an exchange trip to the University of Bamberg in Germany from 2022-23.

“To this day, I’m still in communication with my exchange family,” she said. “They’ll send me things through the mail for my birthday, and I’m about to send them a tortilla press because the dad is really into cooking. I’ve made a lot of rich connections, friends and experiences in Germany.”

Patricia Angel’s exchange trip to Bamberg, Germany offered a variety of new sights, sounds and cultural experiences. | Contributed photo

‘A clearer direction:’ Gaining new teaching skills and strategies

Angel is excited to return to Europe this fall and build on those experiences, whether she’s working with students in the classroom or engaging in hobbies like rock climbing.

“I’m excited about the chance to have all these new skills in my toolbox,” she said. “I’ll be able to see how someone teaches in a different language, learn about new methods and philosophies toward teaching and see how culture plays into it.”

As a Fulbright Fellow, Angel will work with experienced English teachers to engage students, prepare lesson plans, facilitate discussions and more - with an emphasis on American culture.

“When I was in Germany before, I was able to impress people by pulling out niche facts, songs and other things that are culturally tied to America,” Angel said, noting that she led an English-speaking course for university students twice a week. “They were very advanced, so I would come up with fun concepts to educate them on a cultural level - like why does America have cheese vaults, and what is the country’s obsession with cheese?”

Angel also has experience working with high schoolers as an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program tutor at Northwest High School, a position she held for approximately six months before traveling to Germany.

“You work with students who may be less likely to go to university and try to encourage them through activities that exercise their critical thinking,” she said. “I really enjoyed it and loved seeing the students grow.”

Angel’s time working with both high school and university students has reinforced her passion for teaching and mentoring, and she looks forward to growing as an educator during her time in Austria.

“This program is going to offer me a lot of new experiences and hopefully a clearer direction of where I’m going in life,” she said. “There are so many doors that are open for me right now, but no matter where I end up, I’m going to be able to learn new strategies and become a better teacher because of the fellowship.”