Sisters, Kohawks, Fulbrighters...Oelrichs push each other to succeed
Sisters (and Kohawks) Gretchen Oelrich ’19 and Leeann Oelrich ’16 share a passion for international travel, study and culture that has led them to share one more thing: the honor of receiving Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships.
Leeann completed her Fulbright in South Korea, first teaching English at a boarding school in Andong, then extending her grant for a second year to teach at a unification school in Busan. There she was able to work with North Korean, North Korean-Chinese and South Korean students, all living and studying together to learn about their shared cultural history.
“It was such an extreme privilege to be welcomed into a country I really knew so little about and be granted the connections, opportunities and patience to learn and explore,” Leeann said. “I formed intense, lifelong friendships within the Fulbright cohort and my host community, and I gained confidence in my ability to navigate the unfamiliar with flexibility and positivity.”
Gretchen’s teaching assignment will begin this January in Taitung, Taiwan.
“I've traveled to many places around the world throughout my college career, but I'm hoping my Fulbright will equip me with new tools for cultural insight and ambassadorship,” Gretchen said. She credited Leeann with opening her eyes to opportunities abroad, following in her footsteps by studying in Nicaragua while in high school, then Spain and South Korea while in college.
“Leeann's intentions to connect, learn and help are always met with action and intelligibility. Leeann is the first person that explained the Fulbright mission's importance to me,” Gretchen said.
As the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, the Fulbright is the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world. It offers grants to more than 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals each year to study, teach English and conduct research abroad. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world.
Coe College has produced 32 Fulbright Scholars in the last eight years.
“Coe helped expose me to opportunities for myself and my career and gave me the resources to start pursuing them,” said Leeann, who majored in English and Spanish. She attributed her success to the individualized attention she received at Coe, especially guidance from her advisor, retired English professor Ann Struthers, and Coe’s director of off-campus study.
“Coe allowed me to explore an international education,” said Gretchen, an international studies major who, in addition to studying in Spain and South Korea, participated in Asia Term and Washington, D.C., Term. “It's not traditional to study abroad so many times, but Coe introduced me to the right people, and I made it happen.”
Emeritus Whipple Professor of English Robert Drexler had a profound impact on Gretchen’s path at Coe and beyond. “He taught me how to draw knowledge from experience, perspective from compassion, trust from sincerity and purpose from originality,” she said.
She also praised Amber Shaw, national fellowship advisor, for guidance on her Fulbright application.
Leeann said Gretchen’s Fulbright award came as no surprise.
“She is so articulate, quick to learn, eager to connect with others and tenacious in pursuit of her goals,” Leeann said. “She’s already a powerhouse, so I can’t wait to see the ways this Fulbright will help her grow.”
Gretchen, having previously studied independently in Taiwan, is eager to make new connections.
“Building relationships abroad helps me reframe my worldview. I travel and live internationally frequently. Consistent confrontation by perspectives and peoples I don't understand energizes me to engage with the world further,” she said.
“I applied to Fulbright Taiwan because I want to learn how the country’s complicated political identity influences the way individuals are anchored in their personal identities,” Gretchen said. “I’m interested in how this interplay affects the way the Taiwanese relate themselves to the international community, particularly as it relates to English education as a tool for facilitating cross-cultural exchange.”
Both Gretchen and Leeann have prior experience teaching English as a second language. Gretchen has six years of experience working with English language learners at all levels, and Leeann worked with immigrants and refugees at the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids after graduating from Coe.
Both were influenced by those experiences, taking to heart the importance of cross-cultural communication and the impact of immigration systems on the individual.
Today, Leeann works as a freelance English teacher and writing consultant for international business professionals. She is interested in pursuing a career in refugee resettlement or going back to school to obtain a master’s degree in migration studies.
No matter what the future holds for these sisters, they will continue to push each other to succeed.
“I really believe that you grow and change according to the company you keep. Especially as a young woman, it’s so crucial to have someone alongside you that is pushing you and pushing themselves to apply for the big internship, the big grant, strike out on their own and take risks,” Leeann said. “Gretchen is definitely that person for me, and we’re lucky that our support and challenge of one another is reciprocal.”
“Leeann and I will continue to grow together and learn from the communities in which we work,” Gretchen said. “We are grateful for the opportunities to be Fulbrighters, Kohawks, sisters and each other's biggest supporters. We will continue exploring the world and international education, drawing from our Fulbright and Coe experiences!”