East Windsor Resident Kaidesha Pinkney Earns Fulbright Grant

An East Windsor resident is one of two recent Stockton University graduates who has earned a grant from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, one of the academic world’s most prestigious awards, to teach English abroad in the coming year.

Kaidesha Pinkney, who earned her B.A. in Economics, was awarded an English Teaching Assistantship for an academic year in Malaysia. Pinkney will leave for Malaysia in January 2016 and will be there for 10 months to teach English conversation and grammar as a teaching assistant.

Pinkney said she applied for the Fulbright program because she is interested in international economic development.

“I chose Malaysia because it has an interesting mix of culture there,” Pinkney said. She said she saw it as a “great opportunity to extend my learning here as a student.”

Pinkney hopes to help the students in Malaysia learn about American culture and learn about their culture as well. While in Malaysia, she also plans to volunteer at a health clinic or do research related to health care.

She interned with United Way Worldwide through Stockton’s Washington Internship Program during her final semester at the University. As a health research intern, she helped to increase healthy food access for children in an after school program.

During the summer of 2013, Pinkney studied abroad in Brazil. She has also traveled to Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean Islands.

As an undergraduate at Stockton, she was also involved in research with Dr. Matthew Bonnan, associate professor of Biology, and Dr. Benjamin Ellis, assistant professor of Chemistry.

After the Fulbright program, she plans to go to medical school to pursue her MD, PhD or MD-MPH. She plans to combine her interests in international development and health care.

“I see myself working in healthcare settings to reduce health inequalities,” Pinkney said. “I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue medicine since high school.”

Ciara Barrick, of Ocean City, received an English Teaching Assistantship for an academic year in Cyprus. Barrick will work as a cultural ambassador to enhance relations between Cyprus and America.

Both teaching assistants will be assigned to teach in a grade in a K-12 school which has not yet been determined.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

The attached image of Kaidesha Pinkney was provided by Stockton University.