HAMMOND – Eventually, Jonathan Wilson wants to teach disadvantaged students at a school near his Merrillville home.

But before the graduating Purdue University Calumet senior begins doing so, he will practice his teaching skills halfway around the world as a recipient of a prestigious, 2015-16 Fulbright Student Award. Wilson, 23, is believed to be the first Purdue Calumet student to gain the Fulbright recognition.

In October, he will travel to Ivory Coast in western Africa, where he will spend nine months teaching English to students of various ages and backgrounds.