UH Hilo philosophy/linguistics alum Gregory Morrical receives Fulbright award to teach English in Taiwan
Fulbrighters are placed in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers. Gregory Morrical is in the town of Guanshan in the county of Taitung.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
Gregory Morrical, a philosophy and linguistics alumnus (2023) of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, is in Taiwan this year through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Programs.
ETA Programs, part of an international educational exchange program sponsored by the United States government, place college graduates in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers and to help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S.
Morrical is in the town of Guanshan in the county of Taitung.
“It is a small village in the East Rift Valley in Southeast Taiwan, with a population of around 8,000 people,” says Morrical. “It is one of the most remote towns in Taiwan. There are mountain ranges to both the East and West, and the town is surrounded by rice fields. It is a picturesque place.”
For his English language work, Morrical says he splits his week between two junior high schools, which are grades 7 through 9. “I commute to both schools by scooter,” he says. “Chishang, to the north, is about a 10-minute drive, and Luye, to the south, is about a 20-minute drive.”
He says upon arriving in Taiwan earlier this year he was most looking forward to being immersed in the culture of Taiwan. He’s been engaged with Indigenous communities, participated in tea ceremonies, and been on beautiful hikes.
“On my first day in Taiwan, I stumbled upon an Indigenous Day celebration,” he says. “The different villages were competing against each other in team based events. I stood out like a sore thumb, and one of the villages insisted that I join them in a log sawing relay. We won the heat!”
“I’m looking forward to many more of these experiences,” he adds.
From Indiana to Hawaiʻi to Taiwan
Originally from Indiana, Morrical started his college years at Hawaiʻi Community College and then transferred to UH Hilo. During his undergraduate time at UH Hilo he worked at The Learning Center as a writing tutor for Hawaiʻi Community College, and taught yoga at the Student Life Center. He also directed yoga sessions at Taishoji Soto Zen Mission in Hilo and occasionally led its Monday night Zazen meditation sessions. In fall 2022, he became president of the Hawaiʻi Island Philosophy Club.
In May of 2023, the semester before he graduated with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and linguistics, he earned a certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).
Notably, Morrical was student speaker for his class at 2023 Fall Commencement. Learn more about that here: Philosophy/linguistics double major Seido Morrical will be student speaker at UH Hilo’s fall commencement (Dec. 14, 2023, UH Hilo Stories)
Since graduation, he’s been working in Hilo at Hawaiʻi Community College and Hawaiʻi United College (a nonprofit based in Japan with a satellite campus in Hilo) as an education specialist teaching English as a second language.
He found out about the Fulbright programs by going in to see Carolina Lam, UH Hilo’s director of global education at the Center for Global Education and Exchange/Study Abroad. She is the Fulbright program advisor for UH Hilo.
“He visited my office interested in pursuing international opportunities after completing his undergraduate degree,” Lam recalls. “I mentioned the Fulbright program, and he went on to research it, apply, and was selected. When he returned to share the news, it was rewarding to see his efforts lead to an award that will open the door to many more international opportunities.”
And now Morrical is in Taiwan teaching English through the end of the school year in June 2026. He may stay for another month or so while his visa is still valid.
“Just do it”
Morrical has some advice for others interested in the Fulbright programs.
“Just do it,” he says. “If you want to apply, work with an advisor to dial in the essay ahead of time. Appeal to Fulbright’s core mission and have confidence in your skills and abilities. Once you get in, you’ll realize it’s not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. The application is the hardest part. The whole organization is run by regular people like you and me, and they want to help you with all the resources they have available.”
Story by Susan Enright, public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
