CMU graduate (’24) receives prestigious Fulbright grant

Kaleb Wever, a Central Michigan University graduate (’24) from Dewitt, Michigan, was in Europe this summer, preparing to volunteer at the Paris Paralympic games, when he received a life-changing email from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Kaleb was offered a prestigious Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant to teach English as a second language in Cameroon, Africa.

Wever, who majored in economics and French, made the difficult decision to change his plans and return to the U.S. to complete the steps necessary for undertaking the Fulbright grant. He credits his preparation for the Fulbright grant to his many undergraduate experiences.

“I am excited to apply all the skills I have acquired at CMU, through substitute teaching and tutoring, and through various other experiences over the past few years, in a completely different environment which will challenge me to grow as an educator,” he said.  

Wever arrived in Cameroon in late August where he participated in a weeklong orientation at the U.S. Embassy. He is currently teaching English at the Lycée Technique Bilingue de Nsam school in Yaoundé.

“I teach French-speaking students studying a variety of trades such as plumbing, home economics, clothes making, and electrical engineering,” he said. “The students range in ages from 12 to 20. Some of my goals for this year include to help integrate technology into the classroom, as that is a major goal for the school, and to help teach about entrepreneurship.”

In addition to teaching English, Wever hopes to complete several projects over the next nine months.

“Some of my goals for this year include to help integrate technology into the classroom, as that is a major goal for the school, and to help teach about entrepreneurship,” he said. “I am leading the Bilingualism Club, focusing on learning about other cultures and promoting language learning.”

Wever was supported by the CMU National Scholarship Program throughout the application process. Approximately 2,000 U.S. students, artists and young professionals receive Fulbright U.S. Student Grants annually to pursue graduate study, conduct research and teach English abroad in more than 140 countries worldwide. Students are selected based on their academic and professional record, host country-specific preferences, cultural competency, and the applicant’s potential to further the Fulbright goal of building mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and other countries. 

Wever is grateful for the support he received from his faculty mentors and the National Scholarship Program.

“I am honored and grateful to have been awarded this grant and thankful to everyone who helped guide me through this process. I hope to use this opportunity teaching abroad to develop connections with my students from the diverse cultural backgrounds of Cameroon,” he said.