Wheaton alumna Janet Turkovich wins Fulbright to teach in Germany

NORTON--Wheaton alumna Janet Turkovich '05, of Westford, Mass., has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach high school students English as a Foreign Language in Hamburg, Germany.

''I've been intrigued by Germany ever since I started learning the language in high school,'' said Turkovich, who double majored in German and French while at Wheaton. ''I also love to compare and contrast French and German cultures. So I'm excited to experience some of the differences between French and German school systems.''

Turkovich recently finished her second year on a French Government Teaching Assistantship in which she taught English to children in elementary school.

Teaching is one of the career paths she may take. ''I loved teaching these past two years, so that is a definite possibility,'' she said. ''I would especially love to work in a bilingual preschool or elementary school.''

She came to Wheaton as a Balfour Scholar and had been active as a foreign language tutor and college admissions ambassador. She also worked at the college's Elisabeth W. Amen Nursery school, and spent her junior year abroad, studying one semester each in Nantes, France and Regensburg, Germany.

Her numerous honors include: the Deutsche Bundesrepublik Award for exceptional achievement in German; the Hedda Korsch Prize in German for top German students; the Littlefield-Mandell Prize in French for top French students; and the Presidential Award for students who have a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

In her Fulbright application essay, Turkovich pointed out that her interest in foreign languages and cultures began in high school when her sister began studying French: ''Excited by this new language, she wanted to share it with someone. French became a secret world that gave me the confidence to break out of my shyness and express myself in a new way.

''It was this new French world that led me to German. Studying German had always interested me, and when I mentioned this to my French teacher, 'Do it!' was her reply.''

So, she did.

Turkovich said she applied for the Fulbright assistantship to gain experience teaching while getting to know the language and culture of Germany. But she is aiming for much more.

She plans to share a realistic view of American culture with her students to replace the stereotypes they may have. Ultimately, she would like ''to foster a desire to further their connections to America.''

Also, said Turkovich, ''I hope to be a stronger teacher, with a better idea of how to communicate German culture to Americans and other people unfamiliar with it. I'm sick of hearing that German is an ugly language and that all people think about when they think of Germany is the stereotypical Lederhosen and Hitler. There is so much more to their history and culture.''

Fulbrights 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.

Turkovich is one of eight Wheaton scholars to receive a Fulbright so far this year.