2018-19 Fulbright: Meghan Leadabrand

Meghan Leadabrand, a senior German and English major at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship that will allow her to strengthen language prowess and teaching skills while in Germany.

Through the award, the native of Watertown, South Dakota, and University Honors Program member will teach English in Germany while being immersed in the culture of the country. She also plans to become involved in women’s groups and seek opportunities related to music and art.

“I look forward to sharing my love of language with my students by teaching abroad,” Leadabrand said. “I’m also thrilled to hone my German language skills while living in a country I love.”

Leadabrand’s family hails from Germany, with her grandmother being a native of Berlin and her father being born in Würzburg. She spent summers learning German at a language immersion camp. She also attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Deutsch in Deutschland program, which allows students to spend up to seven months living, learning and working in Germany.

Leadabrand has built a background teaching both children and adults, working as a classroom assistant for the university’s Summer Institute for International Teaching Assistants and volunteering as an English as a Second Language classroom aide in Watertown. She also served as an English language tutor through the Lincoln Literacy Program, developing her own lesson plans and leading English classes.

Ultimately, Leadabrand hopes to pursue a career in literary translation.

While the Fulbright experience will strengthen her fluency in the German language, she also plans to integrate into the community by working with local women’s groups. She will observe differences and similarities to women’s groups in the United States and identify key issues faced.