Dr. Faulkner and the International Education program welcomed a new group of international scholars to campus recently. Vanderbilt University is hosting a new group of ten Humphrey Fellows. They are leaders in the field
of education in their home countries. The Humphrey Program is a Fulbright exchange activity funded by the U.S. Department of State. As in years past, part of the program will involve partnerships with Vol State, including presentations and class interactions. Here's a look at the group this year:
Mr. Hilarion Vegba, from Benin,
is a high school principal in an underserved village. Compassion for his
students prompted him to create a lunchtime mentoring club for teenage girls,
develop an environmental club, which all helped to decrease the dropout rate of
girls at his school. He is especially interested in the professional
development and capacity building of teachers and administrators. Mr. Vegba’s
professional goals include developing and supporting educational leaders,
strengthening school, family, and community connections, and improving policies
that serve children. As a Humphrey Fellow, he looks forward to enhancing his
skills in teacher training.
Mrs. Kelly Cardozo, from Brazil,
serves as the Pedagogical Coordinator at the Institute for Sustainable
Development where she helps coordinate projects focused on the development of
cultural and social entrepreneurship, educational heritage, ethnic-racial
education, and environmental education. In her work, she has observed how
important it is to appreciate and support communities. Mrs. Cardozo wishes to
use her Humphrey year to learn about the desegregation in the United States’
education system. Upon her return to Brazil, she intends to create
socio-cultural centers with professional courses, making it possible to develop
new, diverse leaders that will work in the communities in which they live.
Ms. Lesong Lamao Dongtse, of China,
is an Education Administrator in the Education Department of Zaduo County, a
region near Tibet where 97% of the population is nomadic. She works to raise
awareness of the importance of education and to improve the education system
for youth in rural, impoverished areas. Upon her return, Ms. Dongtse plans to
enhance educational opportunities in her community through creating networks
between the education department, families, schools, and community groups.
Ms. Libni Guardado, from El
Salvador, has been an English teacher since 1997. In a region that has been
affected by gang warfare, she helps her students grow both academically and in
discipline, respect, and courtesy. In addition to teaching middle school
English, she also teaches English at a nonprofit organization that serves
students from rural areas. During her Humphrey year, Ms. Guardado would like to
learn more about child psychology and motivation. She is also interested in
studying school-community connections and enhancing her teaching skills to
become a better instructor of the English language.
Ms. Nancy Mendy, of The
Gambia, serves as the Principal Education Officer responsible for special
education in the Ministry of Education. She coordinates special needs programs
nationwide, provides professional development for current teachers and teachers
in-training, and has a weekly TV show to teach sign language and to interpret
the news for the hearing impaired. Additionally, she coordinated the
development of the Special Needs and Inclusive Education Policy Framework,
2009-2015 and is the current coordinator for the 2015-2025 Framework. Ms. Mendy
is especially interested in studying educational policy and instruction for
students with special needs in low-income areas. Upon her return home, she
hopes to develop policies and implement services that support the delivery of
inclusive practices in all sectors of The Gambia’s education system.
Mr. Ousmane Bâ, from Mauritania, has been teaching English
and French in high schools since 1997 and has worked with Peace Corps,
Mauritania as a modal school supervisor. During his tenure, he created the
first English club at his school, which spread throughout the district, and
schools now host English cultural exchanges that include activities such as
football games and knowledge bowls. Additionally, he conducts quarterly
trainings about incorporating technology into teaching, hosts an English radio
program to teach the language, and volunteers on a mediation forum between the
teachers’ union and the Ministry of Education. Mr. Bâ would like to use his
Humphrey year to enhance his skills in teacher training and student assessment
so that he can better serve Mauritanian stuents.
Mr. Siradji Mahamane, of Niger,
works for the Inspectorate of Secondary Learning in the Ministry of Education
and has been working in public schools for over twenty years. As a teacher
trainer, he is passionate about helping teachers develop professionally and he
conducts workshops, training sessions, and classroom visits in order to assist
English teachers. Additionally, he assists the pedagogical inspector in
measuring teachers’ professional progress. As a Humphrey fellow, Mr. Mahamane
looks forward to learning new trends in teaching English language and to
further develop his skills in monitoring and evaluating teachers.
Mr. Farhan Vakani, of Pakistan,
a medical doctor holds the position of Assistant Manager at Aga Khan
University where he creates, plans, and monitors continuing education for
medical personnel. He is also a researcher and has been published in various
medical journals. Pakistan still lacks a national Continuing Medical Education
(CME) framework and Dr. Vakani would like to use his Humphrey year to study how
CME is implemented in the United States. that will enhance physicians’
knowledge and make a positive impact on health outcomes in his home country.
Ms. Roselle Mendoza, from the
Philippines, serves as a high school principal in the rural, mountainous
Nueva Vizcaya province, which currently has a focus on promoting indigenous
education. Always trying to improve the lives of her students, designed a dropout
reduction program, initiated teacher trainings to address achievement gaps, and
made provisions to support the cultural preservation of the many ethnic tribes
at her school, which was done with the support of teachers. Most recently, she
was a project coordinator for Amnesty International. Dr. Mendoza’s Humphrey
focus is to enhance her capability as an instructional leader and manager. Upon
her return, she hopes to use these skills to mainstream students from diverse
cultural backgrounds in order to create better learning outcomes and an
intercultural society.
Mrs. Geeta Motilal, from South
Africa, has been a lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand since 2002.
She teaches and supervises undergraduate education majors, lectures in
Masters-level courses, and recently began lecturing in an executive education
program for school principals. She is also involved in school development and
improvement programs throughout South Africa. Dr. Motilal’s Humphrey focus is
to study the theory and methods of instructional leadership and educational
management. Upon her return to South Africa, she intends to develop a more
rigorous training program for educational leaders and principals to empower and
equip them with skills to improve the education system.
