Fellowships Awarded In Peace, Education

For two Harvard seniors, giving peace a chance just got a lot easier.

They, along with two other members of the class of 1998 interested in careers in education, were recently awarded fellowships that will allow them to work for love instead of money come next fall.

Theresa J. Chung '98 and Nicole W. Green '97 were awarded the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) junior fellowship. The fellowship provides 12 students from across the country with a one-year salaried position working in the Carnegie Endowment's offices in Washington, D.C.

Robin A. Leonhardt '98 and Tamara V. Tai '98 have received the Laura Houghteling Fellowship, an award that commemorates Laura Houghteling '92 and her aspirations to contribute to the teaching profession. The fellowship provides Leonhardt and Tai with about $1,300 for student loan repayments.

The CEIP promotes the study of international affairs and U.S. foreign policy through research, discussions, publications, and educational programs.

Chung, a native of Plano, Tex., will be working as a research assistant for the CEIP's Democratization Project which will look into U.S. efforts to support democratization in other countries.

"It's kind of a new area for me," Chung said. "It's a wonderful way to expose me to a different arena of research."

Tai, also a resident of Pforzheimer House and a sociology concentrator, said she is looking forward to the two years she will be spending in Phoenix, Ariz. as part of the Teacher America program.

The program places recent college graduates in schools that have a hard time attracting teachers. Tai, a native of Queens, N.Y., will be teaching in an bilingual elementary school classroom.

"Teaching is something that gets me excited, and it's something to be proud of," Tai said.

Leonhart, who is from Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., will be spending the next two years in a collaborative masters program in education at Lesley College.

The joint concentrator in psychology and biology will take classes during the summer and work during the year at the Belmont Day School in Belmont, Mass.

"I felt this program was perfect for me," said the Quincy House resident. "It gives me the opportunity to talk to people who have a lot of experience working with children."

"I'm glad that Harvard is making an effort to help people who are interested in teaching," she said. "I was very grateful for the award. My education [so far] and getting my masters has not been an inexpensive proposition."

Green could not be reached for comment last night.