Matt Mayforth '12 is Muskingum's first undergraduate Fulbright recipient and earns Phi Sigma Iota scholarship

Muskingum University's Matt  Mayforth '12 will spend the next academic year in Braunau am Inn, Austria, as a result of being awarded an English Teaching Assistant scholarship through the 2012-2013 Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition. He is the first undergraduate student at Muskingum to earn this award.

The Fulbright Program, established in 1946, is the largest American international exchange program and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.  The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition offers opportunities for students and young professionals to teach in elementary and secondary schools worldwide, and to undertake international graduate study and advanced research. The Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture is underwriting Mayforth’s Fulbright support.

As a student, Mayforth studied abroad at Muskingum’s partner universities in both Passau, Germany, and Toledo, Spain.  Prior to enrolling at Muskingum, he spent six weeks in Germany. 

On campus, Mayforth was involved in the German Club and Phi Sigma Iota, the international foreign language honor society.  In addition, he was a resident of the university’s German House, and was actively engaged with both German- and Spanish-speaking students who have travelled to Muskingum from abroad. 

Mayforth’s nomination for this scholarship was supported by his faculty advisors, Assistant Professor of Spanish Dr. Beth Butler and Professor of German Dr. Franz-Joseph Wehage. 

Additional honors

Mayforth was also named one of only 50 recipients of the Dr. Anthony S. Corbiere Scholarship from Phi Sigma Iota, the international foreign language honor society.  Established in 1970, the award is named in memory of the society’s long-time national historian, editor and executive secretary.

Earlier this year, the Ohio Foreign Language Association granted Mayforth a scholarship to attend its conference in Columbus.  That support allowed him to attend sessions related to his teaching interests, as well as to preside over other sessions.