Meghan Kenny, a Wheaton College senior majoring in theatre studies and dance with a minor in sociology, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Malaysia.

April 16, 2008

Meghan Kenny grew up on a six-acre farm in Taylorsville, Miss., (population 1,341) where she estimates that she must have loaded 2,000 bales of hay as a youngster. No doubt about it, it was hard work. But she always found a way to enjoy it, discovering that hay could feed a herd of cattle and serve as the perfect perch for a king of the mountain game.

The notion that hard work and adventure can be intertwined has stayed with her during her journey through Wheaton and will serve her well in the coming year. Kenny, a senior majoring in theatre studies and dance with a minor in sociology, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Malaysia.

As an English Teaching Assistant, Kenny will develop and implement a variety of learning activities, make presentations on U.S. culture and society, and help faculty in an English language department with teaching.

Described by professors as a natural leader who is curious and eager to learn, she is well equipped for the assignment. She is a Wheaton College Balfour Scholar and president of Café Theatre. She also won a 2004-2005 Presidential Academic Award and a departmental award for excellence and acting in 2007.

The nationally ranked public speaker and debater doesn't speak Malay. But she is ready for the challenge. In 2006, she traveled to Istanbul to teach English to Turkish youth as an English language camp counselor for the Robert College Summer Program.

"I spoke no Turkish, and my students' English speaking skills ranged from none to conversational," she noted in her Fulbright proposal. "I faced a new challenge. I had to simultaneously break a language barrier while teaching a language. My previous experience [traveling the country teaching four-day long conferences for a communications organization], coupled with three years of intense college level theatre and sociology training, allowed me to create an interactive curriculum in which my students wanted to learn the English language."

She was so impressive in Istanbul that she was invited back the following year to serve as a performing arts coordinator. Having studied and taught a foreign language, Kenny says she has some key techniques she plans to use in Malaysia. "Taking the English language and turning it into an adventure encourages students to put their knowledge to use as opposed to mentally storing the information," she said. "Talking with students about things that excite them and then using those interests to create and perform skits, and even puppet shows, provides an engaging way for students of any age to practice writing and speaking."

Teaching in Malaysia will be the perfect opportunity to build on her past summer experiences, Kenny noted. While in Malaysia, she plans to learn as much as she can outside of the classroom—just as she did during her time at Wheaton.

"I plan to truly embrace the Malaysian way of life. I hope to spend my free time experiencing all aspects of the culture—food, customs, shopping, dealing with the heat, and learning the language. I also plan to explore movement techniques within Malaysian theatre traditions, comparing those used in Russian and American theatres.

"After taking several classes on Asian music and theatre, participating in numerous American productions, and studying theatre in Russia, I became intrigued by the similarities and differences in the use of physicality on stage to create successful productions. I was thrilled when I learned that several of my favorite movement-based traditions are performed all over Malaysia. Wayang Kulit, a traditional theatre form that uses shadow art and puppets, is extremely popular in Malaysia. Other forms I am interested in studying include, wau, gasing, silat, and the bharata natyam. My theory is that exposure to Malaysian theatre techniques will enrich my study of theatrical movement and provide me with a deeper understanding of the culture as a whole."

Kenny arrived at Wheaton with plans to pursue a career in the medical field. "Yet, after taking part in a few small productions, I realized that I was denying myself the right to study my true passion, acting. So, I took a risk," she said. "I truly believe that there is a direct connection to the stage world and the real world."

After Wheaton, Kenny said she plans to attend graduate school to study acting and movement.