Peter Goeckner of Creighton University recently received a Fulbright Grant set to begin in July. He will be teaching English in South Korea for 13 months. After traveling extensively throughout his youth and studying abroad in Tanzania and Spain, Goeckner realized that he wanted an international immersion experience before going to graduate school. The grant will mark Goeckner’s first time in Eastern Asia. He is excited to learn more about the region during a very interesting time, considering the current political situation of South Korea and its hosting of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Goeckner is the second Nebraska Gamma Phi to receive a Fulbright Grant in the past five years, joining brother Rob Placek who received a Fulbright grant to study in Canada.
Goeckner, a native of Burlington, Iowa, is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society, and Psi Chi (Psychology) International Honor Society. He has served as secretary and recruitment chair for his chapter, recently winning the “Recruitment of the Year” award at Creighton. Goeckner has also spent two months in the Dominican Republic working on a water quality program in conjunction with Creighton. Following his time in South Korea, Goeckner plans to pursue a doctorate in educational psychology.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright program was created by Congress in 1946, immediately after World War II. Former U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright sponsored the legislation, seeing the program as a step toward building international cooperation. The Fulbright program remains the largest international exchange program in the U.S., offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. The Fulbright Program operates its program in more than 155 countries.
