Rachel Marwedel, space systems administrator in Campus Planning Space Management, will serve as a Fulbright English Teaching
Assistant in Laos for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Marwedel has an associate's degree in computer aided drafting and design, and recently completed a bachelor's in applied science with an emphasis on project management from Idaho State University.

The grant will send Marwedel to Laos to teach English for 11 months. She has been working towards a Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate and volunteering as a tutor for the local Learning Lab, which offers free ESL classes.

"I've found myself growing more and more excited to teach English," she said. "I never once thought I could be or would want to be a teacher - and I was totally wrong! It is incredibly fulfilling work."

Marwedel said her course work and her role at Boise State highlighted the synergies between teaching and project management.

"Both [teachers and project managers] have these huge goals that can be overwhelming," she said. "It's up to the PM - or teacher - to chart a course to that goal by breaking it down into smaller pieces - step after step, day by day. There's no one right way, so it's up to you how, where, when and what happens to achieve the goal."

Marwedel is considering getting a master's in architecture upon her return. She hopes her experience in Laos will introduce her to new challenges and methods of managing the built environment, as well as providing both teaching and learning skills to use in her professional career.

While she is not sure what the future holds, Marwedel could see herself returning to the area for work later in her career.

"Southeast Asia is currently experiencing a housing crisis due to rapid urbanization, and there's continual development in commercial sectors as the area grows its global commerce," she said. "I can't imagine how exciting it would be to be a part of that growth and change."

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