Richard Karrat ’12, a candidate for May graduation, has been awarded a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Jordan. A Dean’s List student, Karrat is a French and world politics major at Hamilton.
Karrat studied abroad in France in 2010-11 through Hamilton’s program there. A speaker of five languages and advanced speaker of Arabic, he began studying the language at Utica College during his senior year of high school, completed five semesters of Arabic at Hamilton and two semesters at the Arab World Institute in Paris.
At Hamilton Karrat has served as president and vice president of the French Club, treasurer of the Spanish Club and has been involved with the Middle Eastern Cultural program. He has been employed as a foreign relations interviewer with pollster IBOPE Zogby International, a Hamilton peer tutor and as a French and Arabic teaching assistant. Karrat has taught math and reading to elementary school students in New Hartford, served as a Hamilton resident advisor and worked at Hamilton reunions for the College’s Alumni Office.
After his return from Jordan, Karrat plans to pursue an advanced degree in Arabic and teach Arabic language at the college level or for a government agency.
The Fulbright ETA Program, an element of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, places U.S. students as English teaching assistants in schools or universities overseas, thus improving foreign students’ English language abilities and knowledge of the United States while increasing their own language skills and knowledge of the host country. ETAs may also pursue individual study/research plans in addition to their teaching responsibilities.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright program is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.
Karrat is the son of Mary Ellen and Richard Karrat of New Hartford, N.Y. He is a graduate of New Hartford High School.
