May 20, 2015
Special-education teacher Kate Raffile ’04 earns Fulbright to New Zealand
By Nick Tavares ’16
A Providence College graduate is thrilled to have the opportunity to do a few of her favorite things — researching, studying, and traveling — in a big-time way on the other side of the world.
Kate Raffile ’04 is one of 41 teachers in the nation — and the only special-education teacher — to receive the prestigious Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching for 2014-2015. She arrived in New Zealand in late January, planning to spend six months conducting research for her award’s capstone project on reading and early literacy intervention.
The competitive award is part of the Fulbright Program, a government-funded educational program created to foster ideas and understanding between people of the United States and other nations. Since its establishment in 1946, 11 Fulbright scholars have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and 78 scholars have received Pulitzer Prizes.
Raffile graduated from PC with a degree in elementary and special education. She then taught and worked as a reading specialist before taking a special-education teaching position at Sippican School in Marion, Mass., where she has served for the last six years. A resident of New Bedford, Mass., she holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction/literary specialization from Lesley University and a certificate of advanced graduate studies (CAGS) in school administration from American International College.
Raffile, who loves to travel and research, is excited by the Fulbright opportunity because it allows her to combine all of her passions under the guidance of an adviser. She is living in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, conducting research and taking graduate school classes at Victorian University. She is visiting schools and meeting with teachers and administrators, as well as other literacy experts and professors, to investigate their methods of reading intervention when students are struggling.
“I want to study the processes they have because New Zealand has close to a 100% literacy rate,” explained Raffile. “The point of a Fulbright is the sharing of ideas, so I hope to bring these ideas back with me and share them with teachers I work with.”
Raffile’s passion for studying reading and literacy intervention began during her time at PC when working with Dr. Jeri G. Gillin, assistant professor of education. Raffile did research on reading programs and worked with students in local schools. She hasn’t stopped since.
“PC just shaped me to have a desire to learn, to question things, and to always want to research,” she said. “When I started taking education classes and began studying different teaching methods I realized that this is what I was meant to do.”
Raffile had always wanted to live and teach abroad. When she investigated the Fulbright Program, she did not let its competitive nature — including an extensive application — deter her. She is grateful for this opportunity and said her PC education is pivotal to her career.
“PC feels like a family, and so you grow personally and socially. For me, it built my confidence and influenced my passions to research and learn,” she said.
