Tristan Hilderbrand, a senior global studies major at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, has received a Fulbright award to spend a year in South Korea teaching English while building her Korean language skills.

“I am proud and eager to join the legacy of my fellow seniors at Nebraska who have been successful in earning positions as English teaching assistants through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program,” said Hilderbrand, who also minors in Asian studies and Japanese. “Such opportunities to improve language skills and intercultural understanding on both the American and Korean side would not be possible without the Fulbright program and the expert staff at Nebraska who support students along every step of the process.”

Hilderbrand has spent her time at the university focusing on East Asia and already has extensive experience teaching English in Japanese and Taiwanese classrooms. She first studied abroad in Japan during her sophomore year at Lincoln Southwest High School, later participating in a one-year exchange program and living with a host family in Taiwan. She then expanded on those experiences by interning at a Japanese high school. In 2017, she was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship to return to Japan and study intensive Japanese.

As the current president of the university’s Hip Hop Dance club, Hilderbrand intends to start a similar club in Korea to engage with the community.

Upon returning to the United States, Hilderbrand plans to pursue a master’s degree in national security studies with a focus on East Asia to create stronger connections between the people of the United States and the citizens of Korea. She eventually hopes to work for the U.S. Department of State.

Brianna Zimmerman, another senior in global studies, has been named an alternate to South Korea.