Colorado College alum Samson Heyer ’21 has been honored with a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award. With the Fulbright, he will be placed in Algeria, serving as an assistant teacher of English at a university in Algiers.

“It is an honor to receive the Fulbright and an exciting opportunity to live in Algeria,” says Heyer. “I was able to study abroad as an undergraduate in Amman, Jordan. I wanted to return to the Arab world, yet still be exposed to new experiences and culture in North Africa.”

Heyer’s placement in Africa’s largest nation provides him with a direct link to his studies at CC where he majored in history and political science with a focus in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and minored in Islamic studies. He also hopes it builds a bridge to his future occupation. “I hope to pursue a career in academia. Working at a university in Algeria will be a great step towards my professional ambitions,” he says.

Heyer recognizes that, along with all his hard work, he had a great support system at CC that has continued to guide him since graduation. “I would like to thank the amazing professors at Colorado College, with a special mention to Dr. Jane Murphy and Dr. Joe Derdzinski, who were my undergraduate advisors and who continue to offer their support, as well as guidance following my CC career,” he says. “I also want to show appreciation to Dr. Jamal Ratchford and Dr. Ammar Naji who were both extremely influential on my academic development. This grant would not be possible without the passion and care they have shown to me over the years. Finally, I would like to thank the CC Athletics Department and coach Scott Palguta, who helped develop my leadership skills and always encouraged me to pursue opportunities outside of soccer.”

Heyer also worked closely with CC’s Writing Center during the Fulbright application process. Roy Jo Sartin, Writing Center specialist and Fulbright adviser, knows Heyer has worked hard and all his efforts at CC will pay off. “Samson will be a great Fulbrighter to Algeria due to his personal and academic interests in the country's politics and poetry,” says Sartin.

“The Center for Global Education and Field Study, as well as the Writing Center were amazing resources while writing the grant proposal,” Heyer says. “I worked closely with Roy Jo Sartin, whose guidance and specialization in the Fulbright award process was extremely impactful towards creating a successful application.”

Fulbright’s English Teaching Assistant programs place awardees in classrooms across the world to help local instructors teach students English.