Malaysia’s ‘Teacher! America!’

msum aLum aWarded distinguisHed fuLbrigHt teacHing assistantsHiP

When she was a preschooler in Palos Verdes, California, most of Leigh WilsonMattson’s classmates were children of foreign-born parents. She a ttended Chinese s chool on Saturdays and was the only Caucasian among 500 s tudents.

“ She didn’t realize she was different,” said her mother Camilla Wilson. “I often took her with me when I traveled. She’s always been game to travel.”

S o it should come as no surprise that Wilson-Mattson, a Fargo North High School graduate and a 2009 Minnesota State University Moorhead alumna, traveled halfway around the world to teach English in a small Malaysian fishing village.

W ilson-Mattson was one of 17 students nationwide awarded a 2011 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. This program places recent college graduates as English teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools in one of 65 countries. Sponsored by the Department of State, the Fulbright program is the largest U.S. international exchange program.

L ast January, Wilson-Mattson arrived in Seberang Takir, Terengganu, Malaysia. Ninety-seven percent of Terengganu is Malay, and so are all Wilson-Mattson’s students — most from poor fishing families in this northeast village on the China Sea. While the spacious campus is outdoors, technology is available at a library and computer lab.

“

Most families live in traditional Malay houses on stilts to avoid floodwater. On my way to school I often see goats, cows, and chickens running around,” Wilson-Mattson said. “The people are friendly and talkative. I’m the only non-Malay in town so everyone knows me as ‘Teacher! America!’”

D espite the language barrier, Wilson-Mattson’s education and life experiences equipped her well. “The most important lesson I’ve learned is that working hard with a smile will get you far.”

A t MSUM she participated in nearly 20 student organizations and 17 decision-making committees, including senate president, student body president, and the Minnesota State University Student Association. Torn between art, journalism, and politics, those joint interests landed her in the communication studies department. “Figuring out the politics of communication is a true passion,” Wilson-Mattson said.

“ Leigh always strived to improve situations and saw politics as a means to an end,” said Dr. Tim Borchers, dean of the College of Arts & Humanities. “She worked hard to create a polling site on campus since she knew it would increase student participation in elections.”

S he honed her political and journalistic savvy through internships at Prairie Public Broadcasting, U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan’s office, and the City of Moorhead.

T his fellowship has allowed WilsonMattson to explore Southeast Asia. Before her term is over, she will have traveled to Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Borneo, and Indonesia.

U pon returning to Moorhead, she is considering attending law school to study environmental law or graduate school to pursue environmental policy. She will likely be involved in the upcoming election.

S he says the Fulbright Malaysia program is dramatically expanding over the next two years. “I highly recommend the Fulbright experience to anyone looking for a bit of adventure and some time abroad,” she said. “Learning about people in other cultures opens doors to new worlds.”

I t’s never too early — or too late — to explore the world.

For more information about Fulbright, visit fulbright.state.gov.