Annie Church ’26 from Seattle, Washington in the US, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) for Spain for the 2026-2027 academic year. In September, she will travel to the northern region of Galicia, Spain to teach English.
Recipients of the highly-competitive Fulbright US Student Program receive a living stipend and serve as cultural ambassadors for the United States, often teaching English while engaging with local communities. Administered by the US Department of State, the program was created to foster mutual understanding and strengthen ties between nations through student exchange.
For Annie, a double major in global China studies and social science with a focus in anthropology, with minors in dance, Mandarin, and a minor in archaeology from NYU, this will be a return to Spain, the country where she had her first experience abroad while in high school.
“This opportunity signifies a step again outside of my bubble and just trying to have more worldly experiences,” she says. “I hope that I'm going to continue to develop my sense of self and feel comfortable and confident living abroad.”
Annie comes from a long line of teachers, and has been teaching since her gap year after high school. While at NYU Shanghai, she volunteered teaching underserved kids with local non-profit Stepping Stones and with Community Engaged Learning’s language exchange program with campus service staff.
She says she was inspired to apply to the Fulbright Program the summer after she was awarded the Critical Language Scholarship—a program of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that aims to expand the number of Americans mastering foreign languages critical to natural security and economic prosperity. The opportunity connected her with the Russian-speaking world through Moldovan culture in particular, and through it she realized how applicable cross-cultural learning and cooperation would be to any international position in her future career.
Director of the Center for Global Health Equity and Professor of Global Public Health Brian Hall, who served as Annie’s capstone advisor, said her research and diverse interests will serve her well in the Fulbright ETA program. “Annie is an exceptionally gifted, profoundly curious student whose sparkling intellect brings every discussion to life,” he said. “Her rigorous thinking and genuine love of learning shine through in her outstanding scholarly work in Shanghai’s Sanlin Town, where she highlighted the Dragon Dance and helped preserve a large dragon head—a key piece of local cultural heritage.”
Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Steve Iams, who serves as faculty advisor to the Office of Global Awards, offered his congratulations. “Annie brings a rare blend of creativity and cultural humility to her teaching, using language and art to connect with students and spark their curiosity,” he said. “We are so proud to see her bring her global perspective back to the country that first inspired her passion for international education.”
Annie is not NYU Shanghai’s only Fulbright awardee this year—Director of Global Awards and Scholarships and Clinical Associate Professor of Literature Dr. Anna Kendrick has been selected as a 2026-2027 Fulbright US Scholar for Spain.
Learn more about past Fulbright ETA scholars, including Caitlin McMahon ’25, Ruby Rich ’24, Stephanie Anderson ’23, Declan Mazur ’23, and Samuel Boghossian ’23. For information and advice on applying for external scholarships and fellowships during or after your time at NYU Shanghai, contact the Global Awards & Fellowships office.