Amanda Hannoosh '06 has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. Hannoosh will pursue studies in Arabic language and literature, specifically poetry, at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. She will use her insider's view of the linguistic aspects of poetry and of the cultural and historical aspects specific to the culture to gather her own translations of Arabic poetry. This collection may become Hannoosh's dissertation in the future.
The purpose of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills. It is designed to give recent college graduates opportunities for personal development and international experience.
The program offers invaluable opportunities to meet and work with people of the host country, sharing daily life as well as professional and creative insights. The program promotes cross-cultural interaction and mutual understanding on a person-to-person basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by Congress to the Department of State. The U.S. Student Program awards approximately 900 grants annually and currently operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.
Hannoosh has completed two years of Arabic language study. In preparation for her Fulbright, Hannoosh is currently pursuing an independent study with Tamim Akiki, an Arabic tutor at Hamilton.
A creative writing major, Hannoosh graduated cum laude with honors in creative writing; she received the Doug Henry Fonda Memorial Scholarship in Journalism; was president of the Tae Kwon Do club; chairperson of the Middle Eastern Student's Association; and participated in several projects with HAVOC, Hamilton's student volunteer organization.
After completion of her studies in Jordan, Hannoosh hopes to pursue a doctorate in Middle Eastern Studies and eventually become a professor to teach the literature of the Middle East both in Arabic and in translation. She is the daughter of Diana and Greg Hannoosh of Maple Street in West Newbury, Mass.
-- by Laura Trubiano '07
