Wheeling native Lily George, a Linsly alum who is about to graduate from Washington and Lee University, has been accepted into a program that will allow her to teach English in Austria for nine months. (Photo Provided)

WHEELING — Linsly alum and soon-to-be graduate of Washington and Lee University Lily George will be shipping off to teach English in Austria this September due to her hard work in earning a prestigious U.S. Teaching Assistantship.

“I’m very excited about it. This has always been a part of my plan before attending medical school and taking a gap year. I’ve always wanted to use my German major and live in Germany or Austria and so now I’m very lucky and fortunate that I have the opportunity to do so and work, live and experience the culture there,” George said.

George, a Wheeling native who plans to become a physician, is double-majoring in cognitive and behavioral science and German — an interest sparked by a formative experience with her Austrian-born German language teacher when she was a student at The Linsly School.

“He ultimately inspired my passion for language, teaching and my determination to give my students as transformative an experience learning English as I’ve received learning German,” she said.

Through the USTA, administered by Fulbright Austria, George will teach English at two schools outside of Vienna for nine months, acting as a cultural ambassador while sharing English language skills.

A busy and high-achieving student of the world, George is currently studying for her MCAT and will be preparing her applications to medical schools during her time in Austria.

George is no stranger to the German-speaking region of the world; she spent a summer in Germany during a three-month internship last year. During this time she said she developed a close bond with her German roommate and friends and was able to immerse herself fully in the culture there.

“Looking ahead to having the opportunity to live in Austria, I’m excited to experience that culture in a different way and being awarded this opportunity has just been the culmination of years that I’ve devoted to studying the German language and German speaking Europe,” she said.

During this time she researched the implementation of hyper-spectral imaging in urological surgery, or analyzing organs and tissue to identify tumors. She was able to help with over 20 hours of neurological surgery, which included observing transgender reassignment surgeries.

George said she has always been fascinated with the brain. Her grandmother passing away from Lewy body dementia further cemented that passion.

“So that always prompted me to be more passionate about neurology but I’m always open to many different specialties so it was great to have the opportunity to see those types of operations and that kind of patient care,” she said.

George emphasized how the communication and soft skills she will learn as a teaching assistant through the Assistantship will directly aid her in her journey to becoming a doctor and a “vocal leader” who is able to interact well with her patients.

“I think all of the experiences that I’ve had, whether that was growing up in Wheeling or attending Linsly or even attending Washington Lee specifically, I’ve always been very passionate about helping others and I think that becoming an English teaching assistant will also go hand in hand with ultimately becoming a doctor one day and being able to develop my skills and give my patients the best care that they can receive,” she said.

George emphasized the lifelong support she has gotten from her mother, father and siblings, as well as leaders and professors at Washington and Lee University during the course of her studies.