COEd Grad Wins Fulbright Grant To Spain

Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 • Collin Yoxall : patrick.yoxall@uta.edu

The distance between Arlington, Texas and Logroño, Spain is 4,948 miles. The distance might be vast, but one that amazing individuals like Deja Banks can handle. Currently in Logroño putting her education degree to good use, Banks is a prime example of how far hard work, confidence, a good support system, and an education from the University of Texas at Arlington College of Education can take you.

A fateful decision early in her college career would put Banks on course for a Fulbright experience in Spain. “I started off as a nursing major at UTA,” Banks said. “I switched my major to Education which required me to take two semesters of a language course. I decided to take Spanish because I have always been interested in learning Spanish,” she went on to explain. Banks went on study abroad in Spain during the summer of 2018.

During a meeting for returned study abroad students, Banks learned about the Fulbright Student Program. Created by Congress in 1946 to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” the Fulbright Program awards financial support to persons of extraordinary academic and leadership ability as they live and work overseas.

After initially believing she would not be competitive for a Fulbright Grant, Banks had a change of heart and applied in October 2019.

During the intensive application process, Banks received help from several members of the College faculty, including Dr. Ambra Green, Dr. Kathleen Tice, Dr. R.J. Leffingwell, and Undergraduate Academic Advisor Chelsey Payne

Reflecting Banks’ time at the College of Education, Payne said, “I truly feel Deja’s drive and passion are undeniable. Deja is a special young lady and will only improve as she continues to accomplish her goals.”

Dr. Ambra Green agreed with Payne, saying, “Deja is a leader among her peers and is willing to set herself apart and try new things…The future of education is bright because we have her teaching our students!”

When news came about a decision from Fulbright, it came at the most unlikely of times for Banks: during class.

“I was in the middle of a zoom meeting with my 3rd-grade students from my student teaching placement. It was the one moment I wasn’t checking for notifications from Fulbright,” Banks explained. “An email notification came across the screen that said, ‘The Fulbright Program.’ I logged onto the Fulbright portal to open my decision letter. I had already trained my eye to look directly for the words ‘I am pleased to,’ so once I saw those words, I knew I was going to Spain for a Fulbright grant!” Banks said.

Asked to describe her feelings in that moment, Banks said she felt “excited, shocked, and relieved….It felt amazing to have something I worked so hard for result in something good!”

Banks now teaches “infantile” (three- to five-year-olds) and primary grades (1st-2nd) British English in Logroño, the capitol of the La Rioja province in the north of Spain. Even with restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Banks has found that life moves at a slower place and that “The locals are sweet, and people are friendly here so that's something I really appreciate.”

Banks has put her College of Education skills to good use with her “infantile” and primary students. School runs from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Classroom management can be a challenge with the language gap, but Banks uses visual, gesture, and audio methods learned while at the College of Education to engage her young students.

Looking back on her experience, Banks hopes that the Fulbright Program becomes more heavily promoted at UTA. “It's a great opportunity to teach abroad, implement things that have been learned throughout the program, and learn about/experience a different culture,” she said. “If I didn't study abroad, I would have never heard about the program.”