By Anna Lee ’08
Taiwan is a special place for Katie Sullivan ’25.
She first visited the island nation in the summer of 2023 as an ROTC cadet with Project Global Officer, which funds study abroad opportunities for cadets to better their understanding of critical languages and cultures.
“That was probably the best introduction to Taiwan I could have gotten. I knew then that I wanted to come back,” says Sullivan, a Chinese and international affairs double major from Norfolk, Va.
And she will. Sullivan was recently awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and will spend the 2025-26 academic year in Taitung, Taiwan, beginning Aug. 1.
Founded in 1946, Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship academic exchange program for recent college graduates to conduct independent research, pursue graduate studies or teach English in over 140 countries.
Sullivan is Wofford’s 21st Fulbright recipient. Lily Reihs ’25, a psychology and Spanish double major with a minor in education from Irvington, Va., was selected as an alternate. Charlie Yang ’25, a psychology and sociology and anthropology double major with a concentration in gender studies from Spartanburg, S.C., was named a Fulbright semifinalist.
“Part of Fulbright is this idea that we’re a better place as a country and as a world if we are willing to engage and mutually learn from one another,” says Dr. Ramón Galiñanes Jr., director of undergraduate research and postgraduate fellowships at Wofford.
“Katie is an embodiment of that ideal. As a student, she was curious about the world, and as a graduate, she continues to be an excellent ambassador with a strong dedication to service,” he says.
Sullivan considered applying for other fellowships but chose Fulbright because of the Taiwanese Fulbright teaching assistants she had at Wofford. The TAs taught a weekly conversational Mandarin class, enriching the college’s already rigorous Chinese program.
“That was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a language class. There was very little pressure in terms of grades — it was speaking the language for the language’s sake,” she says.
Homeschooled until the eighth grade, Sullivan has a deep respect for the teachers in her own life. “Teachers have had a huge impact on me,” she says. “I want to give that same feeling to other English learners.”
In Taitung, flanked by mountains and the sea, Sullivan will be far removed from the country’s more cosmopolitan centers.
“It’s one of the most rural and underdeveloped areas of Taiwan. One-third of the population is indigenous, so there’s a high chance I’ll be working with a side of Taiwan few people see,” she says.
Sullivan is excited by the prospect. She hopes to take up surfing and also start an extracurricular like Girls on the Run at the school where she’ll be teaching.
“To be in a foreign country for 11 months — to have that opportunity — is an incredible privilege, but my number one priority will be the kids and giving them the best experience possible,” Sullivan says.
An honor graduate and member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sullivan earned top academic awards in international affairs, Chinese and ROTC and also received the American Legion Award. She will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army when she returns to the States.