Grinnell Graduate Awarded Fulbright Teaching Assistantship

Anika Manzoor was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Malaysia. The 2013 graduate of Grinnell College will depart early next year to begin her experience.

An active member of the Grinnell campus community, Anika held various leadership positions, including student advisor in the department of gender, women’s and sexuality studies. She graduated with honors from the department with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Anika’s interest in a career abroad originated in 2003 when she explored the Southeast Asian metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She witnessed poverty at a level she had only seen during her previous trips to Bangladesh. This experience inspired her to raise awareness about the global plight of young girls and create the nonprofit School Girls Unite, whose mission is “to tackle prejudice against girls worldwide and expand their freedom and opportunities through education and leadership.” The organization maintains chapters in the United States and Mali. In Mali, School Girls Unite sends 66 girls to school through a scholarship program funded by individual donors and other philanthropic sources.

“As a first-generation Bengali-American, I have always experienced a dual cross-cultural exchange between my home life and what I encountered when I walked out into the world every day,” says Anika. “I’m excited to continue that experience while giving back to the global community.”

After graduation, in addition to her teaching assistantship, Anika plans to strengthen the awareness of and funding for Schools Girls Unite.