Stephanie Anderson ’23 has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) for South Korea. This January, she’ll embark on six weeks of intensive Korean language and culture classes and TOEFL certification classes while teaching English as a co-teacher at an elementary or middle school.
“Starting this journey to learn Korean has been very exciting and invigorating,” Anderson said. “I think that people-to-people diplomacy is still one of our most important methods of diplomatic craft, and that having on-the-ground experience living in another country is invaluable credibility when working on projects related to that country in the future.”
Left: Anderson with the NYU Shanghai delegation that welcomed US Ambassador Burns in April, 2023. Right: Anderson meeting Ambassador Burns
Anderson, who studied social science with a focus on political science, says that opportunities at NYU Shanghai—including chances to meet American diplomats working in China—have shaped what she wants out of a future career. “I want my career path to be one that brings people of all nations and backgrounds together to achieve common global goals,” she said. “I hope to one day work on US-China relations and the US relationship with other Asian nations. My experience learning Korean language and culture will help me in the future to better collaborate with Korean partners on behalf of the US.”
During her undergraduate years, Anderson was known for her leadership as president of Student Government and for uniting members from across the University community while advocating for students. She was also co-captain of the women’s soccer team for three years, including 2021, when she led the team to win the China University Football Association Championship. In Shanghai’s international women's soccer community, she coached women who had never played before.
Anderson with the NYU Shanghai women’s soccer team winning the 2021 championship match against Tongji University.
Anderson is excited to tie her love of sports into the community service project aspect of her ETA partnership. “I choose something that I am passionate about and have experience executing: teaching women and girls how to play soccer,” she said about her project proposal.
Having lived in six different countries over the last five years, Anderson says joining a soccer team is both a healthy outlet for stress management and her favorite way to create community. “I hope to contribute to this sports-based community building when I am living in South Korea,” she said. “If the school where I work does not have a girl's soccer team, then I hope to create one.”
Left: Hiking Bukhansan Mountain in South Korea. Right: Giving a speech as student body president in front of former NYU President Andrew Hamilton at NYU Shanghai’s 10th Anniversary celebrations in 2023.
Fostering an active and inclusive learning atmosphere is how Anderson envisions her future in the classroom. “I think that people—especially children—learn best by doing,” she said. “Activities are a fun way for people to learn and retain information without sitting down and staring at a book, which is a pedagogy I intend to bring into my daily practice.” She’s also intent on creating a classroom environment centered on empathy when it comes to the language learning journey.
“It can be scary when a teacher calls you out in front of a classroom to answer in a language that you’re unfamiliar with…[but] I want to encourage my students to not be embarrassed, [and] rebrand that as a tool for learning,” she said. “I hope that by learning Korean, I can also learn the ways that grammar and language differ to try and point these out to the kids [and] help them be more effective English speakers.”
Anderson says the support of NYU Shanghai mentors was crucial to getting her through the application process. “I am incredibly grateful to Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen, Professor Ivan Rasmussen, Carly Siuta, and Juan Roldan for all of the support and encouragement they gave me throughout this process and especially Dr. Anna Kendrick who encouraged me to keep applying and who read through countless iterations of my essays and submission packages,” she said.
Orientation Ambassador Captain Anderson with her team in Fall 2021.
“Throughout her entire time as an NYU Shanghai student, Stephanie took on leadership roles to help our community feel supported and connected, even when she was in other places in the world,” said Carly Siuta, senior specialist at the Student Health Center. “Stephanie truly embodies the NYU Shanghai motto ‘Make the World Your Major,’ and this is a perfect opportunity for her to continue to thrive. I am confident that she will carry on this spirit of building connections and community during her time in Korea and beyond.”
“Stephanie is a tour de force: in her advocacy for classmates as a seasoned peer leader, her championing of women and women’s sports, her love of teaching and mentorship, and her mature sensitivity to the myriad complexities of global diplomacy,” said Director of Global Awards Anna Kendrick. “She will bring her tenacity, care and positivity to her students and community in South Korea, and NYU Shanghai can be proud to count her as an alum.”
Learn more about Global Awards and Fellowships at NYU Shanghai.