Wheaton senior wins Fulbright to teach in Hong Kong

NORTON--Wheaton senior Shanita Gopie, an English major from Westbury, New York, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Hong Kong.

For a year, Gopie will work at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, a public university-level school dedicated to the preparation and professional development of teachers. She will spend at least 20 hours per week in the classroom teaching and also organize language-related cross-cultural student activities.

Gopie, a first-generation Guyanese-American raised in New York, said she pursued the Fulbright teaching experience because she wanted to expand her knowledge of multicultural education. Also, it gives her a chance to use the multiple perspectives she has gained both inside and outside of the classroom.

''I want to learn about other cultures in Asia. Hong Kong is such an international global hub,'' said Gopie. ''I will be interacting with many different kinds of people. That is important to me.''

''I feel like my multiculturalism will make it easier for me to get to know other people and vice versa. I know what it means to live on the hyphen and be part of one culture and part of another because I'm West Indian and Indian. I feel like that will give me a better perspective on how to approach teaching English, speaking Cantonese and having the dichotomy of these two very different languages and cultures together for a year.''

Gopie, whose minors are Asian studies and studio art, already has had some informal experience teaching English as a foreign language. While studying abroad in India, she helped the housekeeper at the house where she stayed learn the language. That trip also helped her on another level. ''It prepared me for the challenges of communicating in a foreign culture,'' said Gopie, who taught herself some Hindi while in India.

A major presence on campus, Gopie is fully engaged in many activities. She is co-director and choreographer of the Wheaton multicultural dance troupe Trybe; co-director of the college's New Interfaith Alliance; and a member of the Distinguished Women of Color Collective. In the past, she has written for the Wheaton Wire newspaper.

A permanent fixture on the dean's list and a Posse Foundation full-tuition scholar, she also was a radio disc jockey and host for Wheaton's first Indian music radio show and she helped coordinate the colleges first Hindu celebration in 2006.

She originally chose English as a major to bolster her critical thinking and writing skills. She loves journalism but has many career path possibilities, including working in the field of arts philanthropy and teaching.

Hong Kong also will be a learning experience for her. The program requires scholarship winners to take Cantonese, English as a Foreign Language Teaching Methods, and Hong Kong/China Studies.

She only knows a couple phrases in Cantonese--''Happy Chinese New Year'' and ''What car is that?'' Her boyfriend taught her that while they were sitting in traffic one day. His family is from Hong Kong and he speaks Cantonese.

''It's very much of a coincidence that I was chosen to go to a country that will help me learn about his culture,'' she said.

Gopie was in Hong Kong briefly once during a flight on her way to study abroad in India. She laughs as she thinks back on that visit. She collects key chains from the places she visits. ''I went to the airport in Hong Kong and I bought all these key chains thinking, I'm never going to Hong Kong again,'' she said. ''Now, I'm going to be living there for a year.''

Fulbright scholarships are given for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Participants are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential.

Gopie is one of five Wheaton scholars to receive a Fulbright so far this year. Wheaton's other Fulbright scholars are Laura Burr '07, Rose Maizner '06, Sarata Toriola '07 and Laura Tschop '07.