Fulbright: Bringing Globalized Education Front and Center with Mr. Szanyi

By Ayla Sichi '28

As an English teacher, dance teacher, advisor, and CHE dorm parent, Mr. Szanyi is extremely involved in Cate. As a long-time teacher, Mr. Szanyi chose to pursue the Fulbright Scholar Program, a cultural exchange program, for professional enrichment this past summer. According to the program, they “offer passionate and accomplished students and scholars … the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to mutual understanding.” Mr. Szanyi’s interest in the program stems from the desire to expand his knowledge into globalized education. At an international boarding school like Cate, the concept of globalized education is always a focus, but how we can be more intentional with the fact is something Mr. Szanyi wanted to dive deeper into. 

Mr. Szanyi’s first step to getting involved with Fulbright was through their extensive online application. Once accepted, he completed a year-long program. In February of this year, he accepted an invitation to attend a conference in Washington, D.C. The event’s organizers designed the conference to provide accepted educators with opportunities to network, meet with members of the Education Department, and attend an informational fair.   

The most impactful part of Mr. Szanyi’s involvement in Fulbright was his three-week trip to Peru over the summer. From June to July, a group of 20 educators from diverse backgrounds and locations across the United States came together to learn about education in Peru and share their unique perspectives. Fulbright selects these individuals intentionally to showcase the diversity of the United States to other countries. The first week of Fulbright’s time in Peru was spent looking at various types of schools with distinctions ranging in terms of religion and class. A day would typically entail visiting one or two schools and then be accompanied by an experience that would help educators better understand Peruvian culture. Endeavors could entail going to museums, taking cooking classes, or visiting the Peruvian Embassy. While visiting the schools, teachers carried out Fulbright’s mission through discussions on how Peru was implementing global education and how Peru’s education was progressing, as well as areas where it needed improvement. Conversations with the Peruvian students often centered around U.S. policy, as they were well-informed about the U.S. After spending time in Lima, Fulbright took the educators to a small town called Moquegua, where they spent the majority of their time. Fulbright chose Moquegua because a Fulbright alumnus worked there. As exemplified, Fulbright is keen on building bridges over time, especially through alumni who are already connected with the program. 

Overall, when asked what he took away from the immersive experience, Mr. Szanyi pointed out that when cultures are different, people are different. Peru differs from the U.S. in its centralized education system, which presents it with issues distinct from those faced by the U.S. Despite this, there are still universal problems that are shared by both countries. He noticed specifically that Peru and the U.S. both struggle with the lack of student motivation, lack of resources, and determining what parts of learning to prioritize. He mentioned the push and pull between how learning is structured in relation to what is required to teach and what will create, in Mr. Szanyi’s words, “the tension between rigor and excellence.”

Now a Fulbright alumnus, Mr. Szanyi better understands the ins and outs of globalized education. He still wonders how institutions can effectively incorporate globalized education into a school's curriculum, and what the future could hold if Cate integrated the principles of globalized education more front and center.