Later this summer, Joel Soto ’22 will venture far from his Bethlehem home and job as an English teacher at Freedom High School when he embarks on a 10-month Fulbright Teaching Assistantship in Colombia. Soto, who graduated with a degree in English and a certificate in secondary education in December 2021, has ties to Colombia. His father is Colombian, and he has family there. “I have a passion for Colombia, and this is an opportunity to know that side o f my heritage,” he says.

In his application for the scholarship, Soto, who will teach English under the tutelage of a local instructor, proposed hosting a book club for his students and teaching sketch comedy writing. “That’s one way I could get to know the community and the language,” he says. “Humor is different in every language.”

Soto calls himself a nontraditional college student, and he’s still processing his Fulbright Scholar status. He earned his degree at Moravian University at 33 years old, more than a decade after completing two years at Wilkes University. “Earning a degree at this age is much more rewarding,” Soto says. “I’m doing it for myself, and there’s more internal motivation.”

In his application for the scholarship, Soto, who will teach English under the tutelage of a local instructor, proposed hosting a book club for his students and teaching sketch comedy writing. “That’s one way I could get to know the community and the language,” he says. “Humor is different in every language.”

Soto calls himself a nontraditional college student, and he’s still processing his Fulbright Scholar status. He earned his degree at Moravian University at 33 years old, more than a decade after completing two years at Wilkes University. “Earning a degree at this age is much more rewarding,” Soto says. “I’m doing it for myself, and there’s more internal motivation.”

In his application for the scholarship, Soto, who will teach English.