Scoláireacht Fulbright bronnta ar Chéimí CMgS
Tá Jane Ní Luasa, céimí de chuid Choláiste Mhuire gan Smál (MIC), ar dhuine de 36 acadóir, gairmithe agus mic léinn ó cheann ceann na hÉireann ar bronnadh scoláireacht orthu faoin gClár iomráiteach Fulbright. Fógraíodh dámhachtainí Fulbright le déanaí ag ceiliúradh ar líne le Ciarán Cannon TD, Aire Stáit le freagracht ar leith as an Diaspóra agus Forbairt Idirnáisiúnta.
Le béim ar thumoideachas cultúrtha agus ar naisc acadúla agus ghairmiúla fadtéarmacha a chruthú, roghnaíonn clár Fulbright iarrthóirí den scoth ó cheann ceann na hÉireann chun oibriú le hInstitiúidí den scoth sna Stáit Aontaithe i ngach discipline, ón eolaíocht, an teicneolaíocht agus gnó go dtí na healaíona agus an cultúr. Rachaidh Jane, ar bronnadh scoláireacht um Chúntóir Múinteoireachta Fulbright i dTeangacha Iasachta (FLTA) uirthi, go SAM i mí Mheán Fómhair chun tabhairt faoi phost ag múineadh na Gaeilge agus ag freastal ar ranganna in Ollscoil Montana.
Tar éis di céim a bhaint amach ó CMgS mar mhúinteoir bunscoile in 2018, tá Jane ag múineadh anois i nGaelscoil Dhroichead na Banndan, gaelscoil lonnaithe ina contae dúchais, Corcaigh.
Ag labhairt faoi Fulbright, bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Jane, ‘‘Is mór an onóir dom é. Chualathas faoin deis iontach seo cúpla bliain ó shin agus bheartaíos cur isteach air i mbliana. Is brionglóid dom i ndáiríre scoláireacht Fulbright a bhaint amach. Tá sé i gceist agam an grá atá agam don teanga agus don chultúr a spreagadh agus a mhúscailt sna micléinn in Ollscoil Montana agus tá súil agam go bhforbróidh an tsuim chéanna iontu sa Ghaeilge is mar atá ionamsa.’’
Is cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge í Jane ó Ghuagán Barra i nGaeltacht Múscraí atá paiseanta faoin nGaeilge. Le linn a tréimhse i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál, bhí Jane ina ball gníomhach agus d’fheidhmigh sí mar chathaoirleach ar Chumann Gaelach Gan Smál, agus mar OCP ar Chumann Naomh Uinseann de Pól.‘‘Is iad mo mhuintir atá i gceannas ar Óstán Ghuagán Barra agus dá bhrí sinn tá taithí na mblianta agam de bheith ag roinnt mo dhíograis i leith na teanga agus an chultúir Ghaelaigh le daoine ó chian is ó chóngar. I gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál, bhí an deis agam tabhairt faoi mhodúil Ghaeilge san oideachas agus sna dána. Bhíos mar chathaoirleach ar an gCumann Gaelach agus bhaineas taitneamh as an nGaeilge a chur chun cinn mórthimpeall an Choláiste. Is mór an onóir dom an deis seo a bhaint amach chun an Ghaeilge a mhúineadh thar lear agus tá áthas an domhain orm mo phaisean don nGaeilge agus don gcultúr Gaelach a roinnt sna Stáit Aontaithe.’’
Ar cheann de bhuaicphointí tréimhse Jane i gCMgS bhí an tréimhse a chaith sí ag staidéar thar lear in Ollscoil Loyola i Chicago. Fuair sí léargas luachmhar anseo ar chóras oideachais na Stáit Aontaithe trí theagasc i mbunscoileanna áitiúla. Ag trácht di ar a cuid ama i gCMgS, bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Jane: ‘‘Chuaigh beirt léachtóir i bhfeidhm go mór orm i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál, Siobhán Ní Mhurchú agus an Dr. Róisín Ní Ghairbhí. Spreag siad mo shuim sa Ghaeilge, thugadar tacaíocht dom mar ábhar-oide agus chabhraigh siad liom mo fhéin-mhuinín a fhorbairt. Táim fíorbhuíoch as an dtacaíocht agus spreagadh a thug siad dom, ach go háirithe le déanaí agus mé ag cur isteach ar scoláireacht Fulbright.’’
Ag déanamh comhghairdeachais le Jane ar a dámhachtain, dúirt an tOllamh Michael Healy, Leas-Uachtarán Taighde CMgS an méid seo a leanas, “I warmly congratulate our graduate Jane Ní Luasa on being awarded a prestigious Fulbright FLTA scholarship. The Fulbright Awards are highly competitive, associated with excellence and prestige, and reflect the excellent calibre of scholar that MIC continues to graduate. The College takes great pride in these achievements and we look forward to seeing the fruits of Jane’s experience when she returns.”
Ag labhairt ag an searmanas arlíne, labhair an tAire Minister Ciarán Cannon TD faoi Fulbright, “The role of Fulbright awardees in driving international research and keeping global channels of communications open is more important than ever. Fulbright has always propelled collaboration between the brightest minds. I wish this year’s awardees every success for their time in the United States.”
De bharr ghéarchéim COVID-19, b’éigean do Jane, cosúil le go leor múinteoirí ar fud na hÉireann, a cleachtas teagaisc a chur in oiriúint do láthair scoile nua thar oíche toisc gur dúnadh na scoileanna. Dúirt sí: ‘’Ag an tús, bhí dúshlán ag baint le múineadh ar líne ach táimid tar éis dul i dtaithí air agus tá scileanna nua foghlamtha agam. Tá foireann iontach again i nGaelscoil Dhroichead na Banndan agus thugamar go léir tacaíocht dá chéile chun teacht suas le plean nua. Tá mo rang den chéad scoth agam agus tá a fhios agam go n-oibrigh siad go dian dícheallach chun a gcuid ceachtanna a dhéanamh sa bhaile.
Ó bhíos im’ pháiste mé fhéin theastaigh uaim a bheith i mo mhúinteoir scoile. Mar mhúinteoir, caithim gach lá ag tabhairt faoina rudaí is fearr liom sa tsaol: ag múineadh, ag labhairt na Gaeilge, ag seinnt ceoil, ag canadh, ag foghlaim faoi dhaoine agus ag roinnt scéalta. Táim ag súil go mór le teagasc i suíomh difriúil le linn dom a bheith im’ scoláire Fulbright.’’
Is féidir leat tuilleadh a fháil amach faoi Fulbright anseo.
Jane Ní Luasa, a graduate of Mary Immaculate College (MIC), is one of 36 remarkable academics, professionals and students from across Ireland to be awarded a scholarship under the prestigious Fulbright Programme. The Fulbright awardees were recently announced at an online celebration hosted by Ciarán Cannon TD, Minister for the Diaspora and International Development.
With an emphasis on cultural immersion and building long-term academic and professional connections, the Fulbright programme selects excellent candidates from all over Ireland to work with top US Institutions across all disciplines ranging from science, technology and business, to the arts and culture. Jane, who was awarded a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) scholarship, will depart for the US in September where she will teach the Irish language and take classes at the University of Montana.
Having graduated from MIC as a primary teacher in 2018, Jane is now teaching in Gaelscoil Dhroichead na Banndan, an Irish medium primary school in her native Cork. Reacting to her Fulbright award, Jane said, “I am honoured. I have been exploring the idea for a couple of years and decided to apply this year. It’s a dream come true for me to be awarded a Fulbright scholarship. I intend to inspire a love of the Irish language and culture in my students at the University of Montana and I hope they will develop the same interest and passion for Gaeilge as I have!”
A native Irish speaker who hails from Gougane Barra in the Múscraí Gaeltacht, Jane is passionate about the Irish language. During her time at MIC, Jane was an active member and chairperson of the Cumann Gaelach, as well as PRO of the St Vincent de Paul society. “My family run the Gougane Barra Hotel so I have years of experience sharing my passion for the Irish language and culture with people from all around the world. At MIC, I had the opportunity to study interesting Irish modules in education and the arts and as chairperson of the Cumann Gaelach at MIC, I thoroughly enjoyed promoting Gaeilge throughout the College. It is an honour for me to be given the opportunity to teach Irish abroad and I’m excited to share my passion for Gaeilge and Irish culture in the US.”
One of the highlights of Jane’s time at MIC was the time she spent studying abroad at Loyola University in Chicago. Here she gained valuable insight into the US education system through teaching at local elementary schools. Commenting on her time at MIC, Jane said, “Two Irish lecturers at MIC, Siobhán Ní Mhurchú and Dr Róisín Ní Ghairbhí really stimulated my love of Irish, encouraged me as a student teacher and helped develop my confidence. They both encouraged me to apply to be an FLTA and I am so grateful to both of them for their support.”
Congratulating Jane on her Fulbright award, Professor Michael Healy, Vice President of Research at MIC said, “I warmly congratulate our graduate Jane Ní Luasa on being awarded a prestigious Fulbright FLTA scholarship. The Fulbright Awards are highly competitive, associated with excellence and prestige, and reflect the excellent calibre of scholar that MIC continues to graduate. The College takes great pride in these achievements and we look forward to seeing the fruits of Jane’s experience when she returns.”
Speaking at the online ceremony, Minister Ciarán Cannon TD said, “The role of Fulbright awardees in driving international research and keeping global channels of communications open is more important than ever. Fulbright has always propelled collaboration between the brightest minds. I wish this year’s awardees every success for their time in the United States.”
Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, Jane, like many teachers throughout Ireland, had to quickly adapt her teaching practice in light of school closures. She said, “At the beginning, teaching online was challenging but by now we have gotten used to it and I have learned valuable skills adapting to it. The team at GS Dhroichead na Banndan are very supportive and we worked together to come up with creative ways to make it work. My class is fantastic and I know they all worked so hard to keep up with their school work in these challenging times.”
She added, “I am now living out my childhood dream of being a school teacher. This job allows me to spend every day doing what I love: teaching, speaking Irish, playing music and singing, being creative, learning about others and sharing stories. I am excited to do this in another setting during my Fulbright year.”
You can find out more about the Fulbright Awards here.
