New graduate Peyton D’Anthony wins Fulbright award to teach in Kosovo

Peyton D’Anthony enjoys identifying patterns and creating new connections. Those are just two of the skills she hopes to instill in her students as a teacher in Kosovo this fall.

After earning a double major in applied modern language and culture (Spanish) and international and global studies in 2024, D’Anthony also received a Fulbright U.S. Student Award. The Fulbright will take D’Anthony to a university in Kosovo for a 10-month stint as an English teaching assistant.

In 2024, RIT had a record six Fulbright U.S. Student awardees.

This will not be D’Anthony’s first time abroad—nor her first time in Kosovo.

With RIT, she was able to study abroad four times. One of those trips was through the Fred Cuny Peace and Conflict Summer Program. She spent a summer traveling about the Balkans and taking classes at RIT’s Kosovo campus, including one course on post-conflict resolution.

“With Kosovo’s recent history, it is a uniquely politically charged place where everyone is engaged in politics,” said D’Anthony. “I’m excited for what the university students will bring to my class, and to create an open dialogue to hear what they have to say about the conflict.”

While at RIT, D’Anthony also took part in a spring break research class at RIT’s Croatia campus. In 2022, she was selected for the Gilman Scholarship, issued by U.S. Department of State, allowing her to spend a semester in Spain. There, she took classes at the University of Seville and taught English as a second language for elementary school students. She has also spent summers teaching at her hometown elementary school in Ripley, N.Y.

D’Anthony advises RIT students to seek out an eye-opening study-abroad experience—even if it has nothing to do with their major. In addition to her passion for language and travelling to new places, D’Anthony also completed minors in anthropology and sociology, international relations, and women’s and gender studies.

To carefully plan all her trips throughout her time at RIT, D’Anthony worked closely with RIT’s global offices, including Jenny Sullivan, director of Education Abroad and International Fellowships at RIT.

“Thanks to Jenny, the Fulbright program has been on my radar since freshman year,” said D’Anthony. “I’m not sure what I want to do after this, but I hope the Fulbright experience will open the next door.”