Elza Harb ’18 has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Cyprus. A history and Italian studies major, she studied at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, in 2016-17.
“I'm excited to involve myself in the community in Cyprus through learning Greek, learning the slow-living, food-focused Cypriot lifestyle, and hopefully getting to know the people there,” Harb said. “I also really enjoyed my time teaching English to Syrian refugees through Project SHINE so I'm anxious to get back in the classroom.”
Last summer, Harb was global affairs and strategic partnerships intern in Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office. She worked as a legislative intern in the Washington, D.C., office of Congressman Mike Quigley in 2016, and in his Chicago district office in 2015.
At Hamilton, Harb has been active with the Career Center as a group lead, managing teams to plan and execute major panels and life skills events, and as a government & law connect network associate, recruiting alumni for campus events to inform students about careers in government and law.
Majors: History and Interdisciplinary Studies
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
High School: Lane Technical High School
She is a member of the College Democrats executive board where she served as vice president, a WHCL radio DJ, and Italian tutor, ESOL tutor for refugees, and politics staff writer for Enquiry.
Harb said that upon her return to the U.S. she hopes to get a masters in international relations and diplomacy, and then either work for an international non-profit or join the U.S. Foreign Service.
The Fulbright ETA 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. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright is the largest U.S. international exchange program.
