By Niña Christelle M. Sumintac, StratCom Correspondent

Another faculty member of the Mariano Marcos State University was awarded a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA) grant this year. 

Mr. Jareason Fabre, secondary education instructor of the MMSU College of Teacher Education, is the fifth FLTA grantee from the university. 

He is one of only four Fulbright FLTA grantees in the Philippines for 2023. His stay at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington runs from August this year until May 2024. 

As an FLTA, Mr. Fabre teaches Filipino subjects and takes courses in the US school. He also interacts with the host community in conversation groups, extracurricular activities, and community outreach projects. 

Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the US Department of State, Fulbright FLTA is a non-degree, non-renewable program that aims to strengthen foreign language instruction at US colleges and universities. 

It gives teachers of English from participating countries the opportunity to refine their skills, increase their proficiency, and extend their knowledge of US society and culture. 

In a letter by Fulbright Philippine Executive Director Julio Amador III, Mr. Fabre was selected as an FLTA for 2023 “for his commitment to the teaching profession as an English teacher and his academic qualifications.” 

When asked about his inspiration to apply for the prestigious Fulbright program, Mr. Fabre said he wanted to explore and elevate his potential as an educator. 

He expressed gratitude to MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis, CTE Dean Aris Reynold Cajigal, and the CTE Secondary Education Department for their continuing support of his ongoing venture. 

Previously, Prof. Ryan Roi Domingo of the MMSU College of Arts and Sciences also served as an FLTA at Skyline College in California, USA from August 2022 to June 2023. (JVBT/DPT, StratCom)