Jason Sodikin, a Spring 2024 Georgia Tech graduate and Tech Promise Scholar, has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright scholarship. The highly competitive U.S. Fulbright Program provides opportunities for students to study, teach, and conduct research abroad.
Sodikin, who received degrees in mathematics and applied languages and intercultural studies with a concentration in German, will move to Austria in the fall to teach at two high schools in the outskirts of Vienna.
Sodikin credits a long list of teachers and professors as his inspiration, including the tenth-grade math teacher who encouraged him to pursue education, the high school German teacher who Sodikin still sees as a second father figure, and German professor Hyoun-A Joo, who challenged Sodikin to build his German skills and pursue it as a concentration area for his degree.
“I knew in my heart that at some point, I was going to be a teacher,” said Sodikin. “I was always going to try being a teacher. This gives me the opportunity to explore that.”
Journey to Tech
Sodikin came to Tech as a scholar in the G. Wayne Clough Tech Promise Program, a scholarship that makes it possible for qualifying low-income, in-state students to earn a debt-free degree at Tech.
As a senior in high school, Sodikin applied to colleges across the state with the hope of receiving financial support. His top choice was Tech for the mathematics program and close-to-home location, but he knew that Tech would be out of reach without financial assistance.
One night, while in the parking lot at his summer job, he received the notice that he was awarded the Tech Promise scholarship. He could study at Tech without the worry of loans or debt.
“I got that email, and I couldn’t believe that this was happening,” said Sodikin. “The relief of knowing I can study what I want to, and I can live and experience college without the worry of how I’m going to pay for it all.”
His first call after receiving the email was to his math teacher at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, Greg Field, whom he still keeps in contact with to this day.
“He started crying, and I started crying more,” said Sodikin. “He told me he was really hoping this would happen for me – that is a core memory for me.”
Time at Tech
During his time at Tech, Sodikin and his cohort of scholars founded the Tech Promise Student Advisory Board. This board of current Tech Promise Scholars seeks to be present in conversations about program operations and to connect with program donors, faculty, and staff.
In addition to supportive faculty in the German Department on Tech’s campus, Sodikin also highlights the Tech Promise program, fellow scholars, and staff in supporting him through his four years at Tech.
From cutting through imposter syndrome, to motivation to reach for prestigious awards like the Fulbright Scholarship, Sodikin’s fellow scholars and Tech Promise staff have backed him through the process.
“Jason exemplifies the power of Tech Promise, and the caliber of student Tech Promise brings to campus. The very first Tech Promise Scholar I had the pleasure of meeting, his deep gratitude for the gift of Tech Promise has been evident from the start,” said Ashton Tomlin, senior assistant director of the Office of Special Scholarships. “He has continued a long legacy of high-achieving Tech Promise Scholars who find their motivation in gratitude for the generous gift they have received — a gift that not only provides financial-backing for their educational journey, but a supportive community to journey alongside.”
Outside of the Tech Promise Program, Sodikin was heavily involved in campus life and organizations. Sodikin served as president of training and then president of Georgia Tech Tour Guides, administration chair of the Asian American Students Association, and historian and media manager for Phi Kappa Psi. Sodikin was also the events coordinator and then a digital media assistant for the Resident Housing Association.
He also conducted research through the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts about “code-switching” within bilingual English and German speakers in the workplace. Sodikin studied abroad for a semester in Germany and was selected by the Georgia Tech School of Modern Languages to represent Tech at the German American Conference at Harvard.
Looking Forward
As Sodikin prepares to work with students in the fall, he’s most excited to share American culture and connect through food.
“I’m going to find turkey for Thanksgiving and we’ll set the table with apple strudel, green bean casserole, and wiener schnitzel—a joint Austrian-American dinner. We’re going to celebrate Superbowl Sunday and hopefully cheer on the Falcons, just like they would cheer on Austria in the Euro Cup” said Sodikin. “I want them to not only experience American traditions but also explore the history behind our culture too.”
Support Students Today
Experiences like Jason’s were made possible through donations to Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech.