Enriching teaching experiences across the globe define the career journeys of thousands of TC alumni. Now, shortly after graduating, Genevieve Thévenin (M.A. '25) and Sierra Cazassa (M.A. '25) will join their ranks through Fulbright awards that will deepen their practice and support under-served students.
Learn more about this year’s recipients below.
Meet Genevieve Thévenin (M.A. ’25, Higher & Postsecondary Education)
Hometown: Yonkers, N.Y.
Fulbright Destination: Zambia
Why Fulbright: “The Fulbright award represents a new level in my career and an incredible opportunity to serve others globally,” explains Thévenin, who sees this as the “next step” in her teaching journey. In honor of her parents, who are immigrants, Thévenin shares that she’s eager to give back through her service abroad. “Not only does this mean so much to me personally, but now I get to support others pursuing their Fulbright dreams.”
How She Makes an Impact: As part of Fulbright’s efforts to promote cultural exchange, Thévenin will support English language learning in Zambia at the tertiary level working with college students. For Thévenin, teaching is rooted in making students feel welcome. “I honor students’ first languages and recognize how much I have to learn from them, too. It's a true cultural exchange—where both sides benefit and grow.”
What’s Next: Upon returning to the U.S., Thévenin plans to leverage her Fulbright experience to help English language learners access and complete higher education. She hopes to pursue further studies in fields such as adult learning, international education, or higher education to deepen her expertise beyond her master’s degree. She hopes to one day lead her own educational consulting firm to increase access and success for students of color in higher education.
Meet Sierra Cazassa (M.A. ’25, International Education Development)
Hometown: East Haddam, C.T.
Fulbright Destination: Mexico
Why Fulbright: “I chose to apply to Fulbright not only for the immersive linguistic and cultural aspect of living and working in Mexico, but to help me develop my skills as an educator upon my return to the United States,” explains Cazassa, who will teach at the Polytechnic University of Otzolotepec. “I’m excited to see how Mexican universities, especially in rural communities, are encouraging and fostering bilingualism.”
How She Makes an Impact: Passionate about helping students find their voices, Cazassa brings over six years of experience teaching languages to refugees and migrants across the United States, Brazil, and Spain. “I encourage all of my students to see their multilingualism as a superpower. In my former English classroom for newly-arrived students at the International Rescue Committee in New York City, students formed arguments in Persian, asked questions in Spanish, and read texts aloud in Ukrainian. Our curriculum integrated resources and group activities in native languages alongside English, and I saw students develop pride in building a multilingual academic
foundation.”
What’s Next: Cazassa plans to continue to support education initiatives and partnerships across the U.S. “Ultimately, I want to keep advocating for bilingual education access for refugees and migrants, using my experiences in Mexico to inform and strengthen that work. Being part of the Fulbright program is a true honor and the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m excited to see where my year in Mexico takes me.”
[Learn more about this year’s Fulbright recipients here.]