Mark Zajac ’12 will head to Germany with a Fulbright

Mark Zajac ’12 has been named as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) to Germany, continuing North Central’s history of placing graduates in this prestigious program.

He is currently serving as a Dunn Fellow in Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s Chicago Office. While a student, he was a College Scholar, had triple majors in global studies: international business, German and Spanish, and a minor in Chinese. He studied abroad in Heidelberg, Germany, and Seville, Spain, to refine his language skills in German and Spanish.

“I’ve always been interested in all things international, traveling to other countries and foreign affairs,” he said.

Zajac applied for the Fulbright through North Central’s College Honors Programs. His Fulbright will take him to Germany in the fall, where he will teach English, continue to study German and engage in cultural exchange programs with the local community. In addition to the honor of being selected, he will receive about $35,000 of support during his nine months of teaching.

“Like the Goldwater, Fulbright awards are among the most prestigious national scholarships available,” says Perry Hamalis, Cecelia Schneller Mueller Professor of Religion, associate professor of religion and director of the College Honors Programs.

Two current students, Ian Wright '14 (ETA- Germany) and Britney Kravish '14 (ETA- Mexico), have been named as official Fulbright alternates and will be awarded fellowships if others decline and/or additional funding becomes available. 

The Fulbright Grant program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and was established in 1946 by Congress to “enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”