Justyn Bellitto '12 Awarded Fulbright Scholarship

BUFFALO, NY – Canisius University student Justyn Bellitto ’12 is the recipient of a prestigious J. William Fulbright Scholarship for 2012-2013. The J. William Fulbright Scholarship is named for Senator J. William Fulbright and is the U.S. government’s premier scholarship program. It is designed to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges, which provide recipients with tuition, fees, travel and research funds for a full year. 

Bellitto is a Spanish and international relations dual major at Canisius. He will use his Fulbright to work as an English teaching assistant in Colombia. Bellitto requested to teach in Colombia “in order to comprehend a misunderstood country and witness the positive changes occurring.” The experience, says Bellitto, will also be “ideal for improving (his) Spanish language skills through interaction with native speakers and seeing the effects that globalization and development have had on the country.” 

This will be the second international teaching experience for Bellitto. He spent a semester abroad at the University of Oviedo in Spain, during his junior year. In addition to attending classes, Bellitto student-taught children, age six – 18, at a private preparatory school. He aided the English teacher by reading, simulating conversations and correcting papers. In addition, he gave class presentations on such topics as cultural stereotypes and American holidays. 

Bellitto also teaches English as an employee of MyLinkFace, a student-run, non-profit enterprise at Canisius, which uses webcam technology to teach English to students and professionals at Sogang University. 

“Teaching in both Spain and through MyLinkFace has opened my eyes not only to a possible future in teaching English, but also the role of English in the context of a globalized world,” says Bellitto. “The English language is one of the driving forces behind globalization. At its core, teaching is a form of human development that empowers individuals to take part in an increasingly connected world.” 

Following his Fulbright experience, Bellitto plans to pursue graduate studies in international political economy, with a focus on globalization and development in order to analyze the role these paradigms play in daily life.

Canisius University is one of 28 Catholic, Jesuit colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.humanity.