2016 - Page 15 of 20 - Fulbright Student Program Blog

A Quiet Place in the Mountains…Grow Local, Live Long!!!

March 30, 2016

Oyeniyi Abe (Niyi) is a Fulbright Student from Nigeria conducting his Ph.D. research at Loyola University, Chicago School of Law.

As the world is dealing with the effects of climate change, a visit to Williamson, WV exposed me to a new paradigm on sustainable development and the impact of ‘ruralness’ on the health and well-being of a society. As a participant in the Fulbright Amizade service-learning enrichment activity, this trip to Appalachia showed me how old coal mines are being reclaimed for agricultural use and how community revitalization has created a pathway towards sustainable living and economic growth. Getting close to nature also offered me an opportunity for reflection. Often times we tend to neglect the very small things that matter.

I grew up on a farm in a rural community in south western Nigeria. Coming to a rural community in the United States was, for me, a rare and unique opportunity. I visited many places and met many people but the most exciting aspect of my experience was visiting the community gardens and learning the local style of growing crops. The decline of the coal business has had an effect on the people of Williamson, causing a visible decline in population as evidenced by the abandoned houses. But the general sense I got was one of hope and determination.

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U.S. Fulbright

Fulbright and Family: Bringing Your Loved Ones Abroad

March 28, 2016

Anna Rushton, 2013-2014, Rwanda, at a pottery cooperative in Kigali she visited regularly for her research project. Often the employees’ children would come to the cooperative while their parents worked. In return for letting Anna interview them, she taught their school-aged children and some adults conversational English once a week.

When I found out that I was selected for a Fulbright grant to conduct my thesis research in Rwanda in 2013, I was beyond elated. I had studied the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website, solicited feedback from professors, and put forth my best effort into the application. Realizing that I had achieved my goal was an incredible feeling, but I was also terrified. In a few short months, I would be moving to Rwanda with my then nine-year-old daughter. I was not a typical Fulbrighter: I was a single mother who worked full-time through graduate school in order to make ends meet. I would have to quit my job and uproot my child to make this momentous move. I had been to Rwanda before by myself, so I had an idea of what to expect, but bringing a child would be a whole new experience.

I began planning immediately. Online resources were scarce, so I relied on contacts I had made on my last visit and a website designed for the Kigali expat community. I chose an international school for my daughter to attend, researched health insurance options, and hoped to secure a place to live shortly after we arrived. I made sure to talk with my daughter at length about what she could expect for our year in Africa. Bringing your family abroad, whether a child or a spouse, requires a great deal of planning and forethought.

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Enrichment U.S. Fulbright

A Postcard from West Virginia

March 25, 2016

Jimmy Mahady is a Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumni who researched biofuel development in Uruguay from 2012-2013.

Jimmy Mahady is a Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumnus who researched the development of renewable energy in Uruguay in 2013.

Foreword: The musings herein were gleaned from a few days of service-learning through a special Fulbright Enrichment Activity with Amizade in the town of Williamson, WV and its surrounding area. My intuition and meager sample size have yielded this blurry, self-reflective view of what was, is and may be. Thanks for reading.

Six participants from abroad, six from the U.S. – I have come together under the banner of mutual understanding with my fellow fellows to Williamson, WV and we are growing together like a bunch of grapes. I’ve never been to a place like this. Infinite hills – friendly, drawn-out speech and demeanor – a town with its head held high – in spite of unforgiving squalls of global market forces. From far away, current residents’ forefathers arrived here, willing or not, nearly all of whom fought hard to survive. The rich seams of coal presented an obsidian opportunity, but avaricious plutocrats spared no expense to make the people’s sometimes deadly struggle for fair treatment seem Sisyphean. Eventually they prevailed, and fairer wages and better working conditions begot longer hours below with the black particulate that crackled in their chests.

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright

Highlights from the 2016 Seattle Fulbright Enrichment Seminar

March 24, 2016

Fulbrighters gather for a photo with keynote speaker and bassist from Nirvana, Krist Novoselic, at the Opening Dinner held at the Seattle Aquarium.

The 2016 Fulbright Enrichment Seminar in Seattle, Washington, March 17-20, drew together an impressive cohort of 132 Fulbrighters from over 65 countries around the world to explore “Democracy in Action,” engage with leading political commentators (and the occasional rock star), and take in awe-inspiring natural landscapes draped by the city’s iconic backdrop: Mount Rainier.

Even before the seminar’s kickoff opening dinner, students had the opportunity to take in beautiful views of downtown while attending a sea otter feeding and reception at the Seattle Aquarium.

Delivering a riveting keynote address was the incomparable Krist Novoselic, bassist and co-founder of the rock band Nirvana and one of rock’s most politically-minded musicians. Through the Joints Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee (JAMPAC), Novoselic has taken a prominent leadership role in uniting music and politics; currently he serves as chair of FairVote, a Seattle non-profit election reform organization. His speech conveyed a deep passion and dedication to politics which resonated through the Fulbright attendees.

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U.S. Fulbright

Ghosts, Bats, and an Environmentally Friendly Monster: Holidays in Vietnam

March 23, 2016

Hilary Ross, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Vietnam, 2014-2015 (right), and one of her English Speaking Club co-organizers celebrate a successful Halloween event

In 2011, a fortune-teller in a smoky, incense-scented room in Vietnam predicted that I would be the only student in my study abroad group to return to Vietnam. At the end of the five months, I also knew that I wanted to return to this complex Southeast Asian country. Assistant English teaching through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistants Program seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about Vietnamese culture and Vietnam’s relationship with the United States and give back to communities who had welcomed me. I don’t generally believe in the supernatural, but a little over three years later, it turns out the fortune-teller was right.

As I wrote my application, I focused on how to express that I was the right person for this role – a meld of teacher, cultural ambassador, mentor, and friend. My grandparents and parents have all lived and worked internationally. Their openness to and interest in meeting people from all over the world inspired me to move far outside my comfort zone. I’ve learned that when I consciously and positively engage with the world, my connections deepen, and a global community is strengthened. Fulbright has given me the opportunity to do this by connecting and learning from the brightest students and teachers in Vietnam.

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright Unknown

Williamson: Vignettes from a Coal Town

March 22, 2016

Nidhi Sen is Fulbright Student from India pursuing a joint degree master’s program in gender and sustainable international development at Brandeis University.

Driving around the central part of the Appalachian region in early spring, one is struck by the jagged, rocky hills and the bare-leaved trees. All along the winding roads, I saw old and rusting conveyor belts and mining equipment lying abandoned by the wayside. It was a stark reminder of what used to be considered the heart of a billion dollar coal industry and what sustained an entire culture and way of life for generations. It made me aware of how the burden of history looms large over this landscape and its people—one that even visitors like myself cannot escape from.

Arriving in Williamson a few days ago, I was initially struck by the absence of people on the streets and the lack of human activity. It was strangely new to me, and I fell into the immediate trap of comparing it to small towns in India and with familiar images of urban decay. But a few hours into my stay here and after interacting with the dynamic team of Sustainable Williamson, I realised that underneath its “sleepy” mask was a group of passionate and dedicated individuals who are trying to revive the local economy and revitalize the lives of the local community.

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