After graduating from the University of Lynchburg with a bachelor’s degree in history and minors in medieval studies and German, Rick Smallshaw ’23 went to Germany to teach English under the U.S. Fulbright Student Program.
“It’s hard to pinpoint what I’m looking forward to the most,” the Westover Honors Fellow said in the spring of 2023, “but I would say I’m definitely happy for the opportunity to not only live independently, but to do so in a foreign country.
“It’s a daunting, yet thrilling, first step into the real world.”
For the past two years, Smallshaw has been a foreign language teaching assistant at St. Benno-Gymnasium, a public school located in Dresden. He taught as a Fulbright Fellow for one year and then extended his service through Germany’s education ministry.
Next month, Smallshaw will return to the States. He’s currently looking for what he describes as education or “education adjacent” jobs in the “teaching and … education/government/policy research sector[s].”
Recently, he shared some thoughts with University Marketing and Communications about his experiences in Germany.
Q. Can you tell us about St. Benno-Gymnasium and your work there?
A. The St. Benno-Gymnasium is an advanced public high school located in the center of Dresden, a city of a little over 500,000 people. It is affiliated with the Catholic bishopric of the area. The school ranges from grades 5-12, and I have had teaching experience in grades 6-12.
This, of course, means that I do everything from creating vocabulary and grammar games to leading discussions on U.S. foreign affairs, with lots of topics, activities, and skill levels in between. I have also become the co-coach of the school’s English Debate Society, which certainly engages my creativity and keeps me busy.
Q. Have there been any interesting, heartwarming, or funny situations that have happened in your classroom over the past two years that you’d like to tell us about?
A. A particularly rewarding experience I had last year was leading a book club with a group of advanced seventh grade students. They chose to read “Lord of the Flies,” because it “sounded the most violent” of all the books I suggested to them, and I had some great discussions with this group as they worked through the novel.
The club’s objective culminated with a project where the members led a classroom game wherein their fellow classmates were stranded on a deserted island and had to devise their own plans for survival.
Q. How are your language skills progressing?
A. I find it remarkable how much my English and German skills have developed during this time. With German, I have become much more familiar with colloquialisms and even nuances of dialect, while in English I have developed a more fundamental understanding of the grammatical concepts that I teach to my students.
I appreciate all of the opportunities I get to speak German with colleagues, friends, students, and strangers, and it is always a welcome confidence boost when I am able to pass, linguistically, as a native German.
Q. Have you had the opportunity to travel around Europe or elsewhere?
A. Dresden is particularly convenient in its situation in Europe. I am less than two hours by train from the capital Berlin, Prague in the Czech Republic, and the Polish border as well, and I have spent time in each of these places.
I saw lots of Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland when I had family visiting last spring. I’ve made several solo trips, seeing Vienna last fall and, most recently, southwestern Germany, France, and Switzerland this winter.
I try not to be the cliche “awestruck tourist” on my travels, but I truly have added each new place to my “favorite cities in Europe” list after each visit!
Q. What do you do about transportation? Do you have a car or do you walk or take public transit? What’s that been like?
A. Dresden’s size necessitates an extensive and efficient public transportation system, which I utilize daily by taking one of the 13 tram lines or one of the numerous bus lines. Now that the weather is finally getting nice, I hope to start using my bicycle several times a week again, something that makes me feel particularly culturally assimilated!
Q. Have you kept in touch with anyone at the University?
A. I’ve sent a recurring, though informal, “end of semester update” several times to my advisors on Lynchburg’s Fulbright committee — Dr. Beth Savage, Dr. Lucinda Spaulding — as well as to my recommenders and reviewers — Dr. Lisa Crutchfield, Professor Jer Bryant, Dr. Alicia Carter — as a way to keep in touch and continue to express thanks for their contributions to getting me here.
Q. Anything else you want to tell us about?
A. I have been seeing a phrase getting thrown around by Lynchburg students, faculty, and alumni on LinkedIn: “Never underestimate where an education from the University of Lynchburg can take you.”
This resonates with me as well, as virtually all of my professional experiences would not have been possible without the support and mentorship of the amazing faculty we have at U of L!
