Luci Bransel ’25 has been awarded a spot in the competitive US Teaching Assistantship (USTA) program, where she will spend one year in Austria.
She was thrilled when she heard the news.
“The placement is absolutely perfect,” Bransel said. “It’s in a geologically interesting area and near a city with an active theater scene.”
The goal of the U.S. Teaching Assistantship program, administered by Fulbright Austria, is to bring native English speakers to all nine of the Austrian provinces to enrich the lives of their students. Bransel’s placement, in the town of Strass im Zillertal, is with a green school that focuses on agriculture, sustainability, and the environment. This, combined with the school’s location only 30 miles away from Innsbruck, provides the opportunity for Bransel to combine her German and geology majors, and her theatre minor.
“It will allow me to develop my German and immerse myself in Austrian culture while I explore language education and environmental education as a career field,” Bransel said. “Some USTA participants even end up extending their position for a second year or staying in Austria following their program years. I could even pursue graduate school, either in education or geology in Austria.”
The program requires an orientation before beginning the assignment and comes with a salary for the duration of the post. According to the USTA Austria website, each assistantship is unique, but will include duties such as working with an experienced teacher, making lesson plans, and assisting students in preparing for English tests.
According to Bransel, the application process was intensive. She began before the school year started, wrote multiple drafts, submitted a CV, two letters of recommendation, proof of German proficiency, and a personal statement.
“Luci worked so hard on her drafts and really took the time to think about how the USTA program would benefit her personally and professionally. She's a marvelous fit for this competitive program,” Dungy Writing Studio Director and Director of Fellowships and Scholarships Laura Farmer said.
Bransel also received a scholarship from the National German Honor Society, Delta Phi Alpha, that will cover the cost of her plane ticket to Innsbruck.
Through One Course At A Time, leadership opportunities, STEM work, and experiences abroad, Bransel believes her Cornell experiences helped prepare her for this program.
“The USTA program looks for students who are flexible, well-rounded, and passionate about intercultural communication,” Bransel said. “The structure of Cornell's block program gave me the ability to devote specific time to each of my interests.”
Plus, she says her experiences with the Cornell Summer Research Institute and as the co-president of the Geology Club also contributed to her development as a person.
“Completing a program such as USTA Austria will be beneficial for Luci no matter what she decides to do afterward,” Director of Employer Relations and Career Coaching Jason Napoli said. “Global experience such as this produces solid skill sets in several career competencies such as adaptability, problem-solving, time management, and cross-cultural communication, and there’s no doubt Luci will grow and positively develop in each area.”
Bransel added that Farmer, Napoli, and all of the Cornell faculty and staff she’s worked with these past four years on the Hilltop, were instrumental in her success with this application. Bransel’s plane takes off in September for her next adventure in Austria.