Jarrod Huffman ('05) received a Fulbright scholarship, the U.S. government’s premiere international exchange program, to research access to elementary education in Kolkata, India. A 2010 graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a B.S. in physics and a commission as second lieutenant, Jarrod developed his interest in education in India while teaching physics in a rural Indian village for seven months in 2007-08. In June 2010 he married Emily Shantz (’05), who graduated from Goshen College in 2009 with a major in art and a minor in writing.

Following is an email interview with Jarrod and Emily from February 2011.

Why apply for a Fulbright scholarship? "During my time as a volunteer in India I saw firsthand the power of education: children who were given educational opportunities advanced their position in life as they went on to college and pursued careers unavailable to their parents’ generation. In 2009 the Indian federal government passed legislation that aims to provide universal free and compulsory education through eighth grade and contains provisions to ensure minimum standards of quality are met. However, education is administered by state governments and the state in which Kolkata is located has been pursuing a different course in universalizing education. With a desire to return to India and my newfound interest in education in India, I submitted my research proposal with the hope that my findings might be helpful to those making decisions about education policy or those simply wishing to be better informed."

Language studyWhat do you do as a Fulbright scholar? "All scholarships focus on research or education with an aim of increasing mutual understanding and creating partnerships with people around the world. It contains an initial period dedicated exclusively to language study and then a period where language study and research are concurrent. Thus far I have conducted background research to make sure I understand the situation reasonably well. I will conduct a public awareness survey among parents of elementary school-aged children to determine the level of knowledge about new education-related legislation. Currently, enforcement of this legislation requires complaints to be lodged. My research aims to assess whether or not an awareness campaign about the legislation will be necessary.
How have you fostered crosscultural understanding? By conversing in Bangla in my day to day public interactions. Whether in a store, an office, or a school, people are really excited when I speak Bangla at even the most basic level. Part of this is due to the perception, which is in many ways true, that people in western countries only care about culture and events in other western countries. By speaking Bangla I become a counter-example to this perception by demonstrating that I have invested a reasonable degree of time in learning something unique to their culture."

How has Bethany impacted your life? "The most obvious way is academically. The Air Force Academy admissions process is highly competitive, and although I was in the middle of my class at Bethany, I found that I was ahead of most of my peers in college. Although military service is unorthodox for a Bethany alum, having been exposed to different perspectives at Bethany taught me to think critically about the implications of my future actions and the role I play in an ever more globalized world."

Emily, how has Bethany impacted your life? "Had I not attended Bethany, I would not have met and eventually married Jarrod—and would not be in Kolkata! On a more serious note, when I attended Bethany, its slogan was “a good place to grow.” Bethany has fulfilled its promise to me in every way. Not only did I grow incredibly regarding my faith, but I also discovered a passion for writing and language. Now I’m studying Bangla, my third language other than English (German at Bethany and Spanish at Goshen College), and Jarrod and I will have a secret language to converse in when we return to the U.S.!"