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Brett Aho ‘10

“Redlands has been all about the camaraderie. The ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality is something that defines Redlands.”

Fulbright Scholar Works Hard, Plays Hard
University of Redlands graduate Brett Aho received a Fulbright Award to teach for a year in Germany. The Bremerton, Washington native completed not one, but three separate majors in French, German and International Relations.

Brett spent his junior year abroad, studying in Freiburg, Germany, and in Saint-Louis, Senegal. While in Senegal, he worked as an intern for the West African Rice Development Association, a group dedicated to improving the livelihoods and crop output of the local farmers.  He was also involved in teaching at a local school in Senegal.

Brett writes extensively and was a frequent contributor to the Bulldog Weekly, the campus newspaper. He was also a member of Students for Environmental Activism and the Illahee Forest Stewardship Committee. 

A talent for communication
Noted by his professors for his talents in communicating with others, after graduating, Brett headed to the city of Lübeck, in Schleswig-Holstein, for his Fulbright appointment.

Following his year abroad, he planned to attend graduate school in journalism or international law and eventually enter either public service or the communications field.

“Redlands has been all about the camaraderie. The ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality is something that defines Redlands,” reflects the recent graduate. “It's the close friendships and broad circles of friends that arise from this gregarious atmosphere that have really shaped who I am.”

Brett’s Fulbright award marked the seventh in three consecutive years for University of Redlands undergraduates.

Fulbright awards are the highest and most competitive awards for overseas research or teaching given by the federal government to approximately 1,500 graduating seniors. Annually only 11 percent of all Fulbright awards are given to undergraduate students.