College of Education graduate to live out dream in Peru as Fulbright Grantee

Hannah Tarwater has had a dream for quite some time — to teach in a Spanish-speaking country.

As a two-time graduate of Auburn’s College of Education, she will do just that in Peru next year thanks to her recent selection to the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

“I’ve already learned a little about the education system in Peru, and I’m looking forward to seeing that firsthand and learning from educators there,” said Tarwater. “I’m also excited to be able to work on my Spanish and become more fluent.”

Tarwater’s selection as a Fulbright Grantee is an accomplishment to brag about. The program partners with more than 140 countries worldwide, offering opportunities to graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals to pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English abroad.

Tarwater knew from a young age she wanted to be a teacher and elected to major in elementary education with a minor in Spanish. She grew to love the language and recognized her desire to work with students who might not be native English speakers. Following her graduation in 2022, Tarwater began pursuing a master’s degree in elementary education and added two graduate certificates in inclusive elementary practices and teaching English as a second language to better prepare her for the types of environments in which she plans to teach.

When she learned about the Fulbright program in 2023 — shortly before applications for the 2025 program closed — she knew she had to apply.

“I went to office hours for one of my professors, Dr. Gwendolyn Williams, and she asked if I’d ever heard of the Fulbright program,” said Tarwater. “I looked it up and read about the mentorship aspects and the teaching experience I would gain. I realized I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Though it was a challenging application process, Tarwater credits her preparedness to the resources she found at Auburn, especially within the College of Education. Throughout her elementary education courses, she was often asked to consider how teaching methods might need to be adjusted for students who are multilingual English learners. The college’s array of graduate certificates allowed her to supplement her degree with skills that helped make her an ideal candidate for the Fulbright program.

Tarwater’s Spanish professors were instrumental in her academic endeavors and ultimately became vital in helping her complete her application.

“I already had a passion for Spanish, but it was cemented by having such great professors who genuinely care about me,” she said. “I built great relationships with them, and they definitely pushed me and encouraged me to pursue teaching abroad.”

While in Peru, Tarwater will spend about 25 hours a week in the classroom, and for the other 15 hours of the traditional work week, she has the opportunity to work on a supplemental project of her choosing, which she hopes to use to pursue another one of her passions: fighting against human trafficking.

During her time as a student, Tarwater was involved with the Auburn campus chapter of International Justice Mission, an organization that fights against human trafficking, forced labor slavery, rights abuses and more. While on the ground in Peru, Tarwater hopes to get involved with several local organizations to continue the fight.

“That was one thing that really drew me to the Fulbright program,” she said. “I realized I can achieve fluency in Spanish, gain real-world teaching experience, and work with local organizations to fight against trafficking, and having all of those opportunities is very unique to this program.”

Tarwater’s ultimate goal is to be an effective educator, especially to those students who do not speak English as their first language or might come from a different cultural background, so she does not take lightly the opportunity to learn from those with a different cultural and educational perspective.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” Tarwater said. “It was a difficult process, but there is nothing that compares to this opportunity, and it feels like something that will be really impactful for the rest of my life.”