51本色

Earlier this month, 51本色鈥檚 Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Shane Sokoll returned from a sabbatical in Spain, where he represented CTX as a Fulbright scholar during the Spring 2019 semester.

is a cultural exchange program funded by the U.S. State Department that allows scholars across all degree levels to conduct research and teaching in one of 155 countries.

Dr. Shane Sokoll's Fullbright Experience

As part of his project on the Science and Practice of Leadership, Sokoll conducted teaching and research in Tenerife, Canary Islands, as a Fulbright Senior Scholar. He cringes at the senior designation but explains that this specific program is for scholars and educators who are advanced and experienced in their fields.

When Sokoll first applied for Fulbright Espana (the Fulbright program in Spain), he had no idea that he would end up on an island off the tip of North Africa. When the opportunity did present itself, he had no hesitation. Having previously conducted research in various industries in the United States and Mexico, Sokoll was eager to engage with organizational culture in a different national setting and gauge how his research would be received.

The feedback he received was overwhelmingly positive. 鈥淢uch of the leadership culture in Spain is hierarchical,鈥� he explained. 鈥淔or a lot of students I worked with, the concepts of transformational leadership and servant leadership were refreshingly new. They seemed to appreciate it.鈥�

Placement in Spain鈥檚 Canary Islands wasn鈥檛 the only surprise that accompanied Sokoll鈥檚 Fulbright award. Affiliated with the (Department of Economics, Business and Tourism) at the Universidad de la Laguna, he was tasked with traveling around the island as a visiting speaker and lecturer, presenting over 20 sessions on leadership.

Throughout the program, Sokoll presented at several conferences, seminars, workshops, leadership summits and guest lectures. He believes this allowed him to make an even greater impact through the program.

Sokoll was accompanied on his trip by his wife and two children. Although the transition wasn鈥檛 easy, his kids were happily immersed in the Spanish culture. It also helped that his son is a soccer (futbol) fanatic and relished the chance to watch FC Barcelona.

51本色鈥檚 values and the Fulbright experience

In the end, Sokoll returned to 51本色 with a mission to encourage students and faculty to look into Fulbright. He did just that at a faculty development session last Wednesday, pointing out that Fulbright offers opportunities not just for and doctoral students but also for pursuing their bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees.

He also stressed the synergy between 51本色鈥檚 values and the Fulbright experience. 鈥淲e often talk at CTX about 鈥榮erving our neighbor鈥� and bringing good to the world as an expression of our love for Christ,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or me, it was really all about vocation鈥�.