Isabella Marrin’s life has been deeply informed by her family’s immigrant story. When her mother was just 21 years old, she fled war-torn Guatemala for a better life in the U.S., working hard to learn English and establish herself within the community.
Marrin understands the many challenges her mother endured and hopes to help others facing similar obstacles by becoming an immigration attorney upon graduating from TCU in May. But first, she will make an important side trip as the recipient of the 2024-25 Fulbright U.S. Student English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award to Vietnam — the first TCU student to win an award to the Southeast Asian country.
Marrin is on track to graduate summa cum laude with a double degree from the AddRan College of Liberal Arts in political science and Spanish and Hispanic studies, a minor in philosophy, an emphasis in comparative race and ethnic studies and as a laureate of the John V. Roach Honors College.
“One can’t really understand my passion for education without knowing my mother,” observed Marrin. “I think of her sacrifice and know that I’m not just teaching my students, but also impacting the generations that follow. That — as well as my work with GED and ESL instruction throughout my time at TCU — played into why I wanted to be an ESL educator in Vietnam through the Fulbright program.”
A ‘Surreal’ Moment
Marrin applied for the Fulbright program in August 2023 and learned in January that she was a semifinalist. On April 1, she received the news that she had been accepted. “It was surreal,” she said of the moment. “I was speechless for about two minutes, then I just ran up and down the hallway of my house screaming that I got it. It was an incredible experience.”
Tracy Rundstrom, Ph.D., director of nationally competitive scholarships, assisted Marrin in preparing her application materials. “Isabella is extremely passionate and excited about the nature of the award, which is being an ambassador and sharing her knowledge of the U.S. abroad,” Rundstrom said. “She has already taught ESL, which will be her primary job in Vietnam.”
Why Vietnam
Marrin chose Vietnam as her preferred host country after learning through her ESL work that the Dallas-Fort Worth area has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the U.S. “My goal is to become an immigration attorney, and I believe that having a cultural understanding and a degree of fluency in Vietnamese would be incredibly helpful in assisting people in Dallas-Fort Worth and communities across the U.S.”
Marrin was also drawn to the Vietnamese government’s ambitious initiative to strengthen and codify gender equality by 2030. “I thought this would be an incredible opportunity to create educational events, and I’m really excited to hopefully work with local women leaders to provide sustainability on the issue of gender equality after I leave.”
Gender equality is a personal calling for Marrin, who is the founder and president of the TCU chapter of IGNITE National, an organization devoted to increasing political ambition, civic engagement and leadership skills to build the next generation of women leaders. A recent IGNITE initiative called on TCU to provide free menstrual products in campus bathrooms.
What’s Next
Marrin leaves for Vietnam in August and will spend one academic year there. She doesn’t know yet who her students will be or to which host institution she will be assigned, but she’s excited about the adventure awaiting her. She encourages other students to consider pursuing a Fulbright award or other form of extracurricular fieldwork.
“I believe we must be the change we want to see in the world, and if something excites you, have the confidence to be that change,” Marrin said. “The Fulbright program allows you to make an impact on other people’s lives, and you learn so much in the process. There are also many other opportunities to engage in cultural exchange besides the Fulbright program, so my advice is: don’t be afraid, just go for it.”
Students interested in applying for the Fulbright Award can contact Dr. Tracy Rundstrom for more information.