Prestigious U.S. program honors Werth

“Way back in high school ... I had started to develop an interest in Korea due to the growing surge of Korean media that had taken root internationally,” Werth said. “And, an interest also in learning languages, teaching languages, learning other cultures and just being kind of that cultural ambassador. I’ve been dedicated to that ever since.”

Just 16 students attending Missouri institutions qualified as Fulbright scholars in 2016-2017, according to a federal government record. A survey confirmed Werth is the only honoree this year in the News-Press NOW coverage area. She has, to date, studied in the MWSU master of teaching English as a second language program; her intended graduation date is in December, ahead of her voyage to Korea.

Werth has visited the country several times. She said she keenly looks forward to orientation in the capital city of Seoul, where she will learn where she will teach and who with; paired with a TESL professor, her job will be to offer a native speaker’s insights on speech and culture.

“Once I had that experience, I was really like, ‘I want to go back to Korea.’ And this time, more like an educator, like, I want to teach in Korea,” she said. “That was something that I guess I put on my bucket list. So ever since then, there have been, it’s what I’ve been chasing.”

Dr. Adrienne Johnson, chair of education, said Werth is highly deserving of the Fulbright grant, which is effectively at the top tier of academic programs in the country. Nearly 400,000 people worldwide have participated in the program since 1946; it is named after the late U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas.

“Hayley Werth is a talented scholar and teacher, who is passionate about meeting the needs of multilingual learners,” Johnson said. “(Her) applied learning experiences ... have ensured she is well-prepared to excel in her future roles as a teacher and Fulbright English teaching assistant.”

Missouri Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville also spoke praise.

“I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to Hayley Werth on her receipt of the prestigious Fulbright award,” he said. “I’m proud that this Northwest Missouri native and Missouri Western graduate student is representing our region so well.”