Schuyler, Author at Fulbright Student Program Blog

Rubber to the Road: An Athletic Fulbright Experience

September 4, 2013

Christian Braun, 2012-2013, Germany (center), and teammates after winning the Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference race

Have you ever watched the TV show “Portlandia?” If you have, you’ll know what makes this city so special. For many people, Portland is the city of roses, food carts, beer, and coffee lovers, but it’s also the cycling capital of the United States. Riding my bike around Portland during my year as a Fulbright Foreign Student made me a part of one of the city’s most interesting subcultures. Besides getting to know the Portland area better than many locals, bike racing took me to places as far away as Idaho and Montana, but most importantly, it helped me gain a true cultural experience.

When it comes to cycling, Portlanders have come close to achieving their semi-official goal of “Keeping Portland Weird.” From riding unicycles, to the “World Naked Bike Ride,” cycling is much more than a means of commuting; it is a way of life. Thus, Portland State University (PSU) was a perfect match for me. With my Fulbright grant, I studied political science focusing on American foreign policy. In addition, I worked for the PSU mentor program, which partnered me with a university sophomore to teach general study skills and promote collaborative learning. This experience also gave me an opportunity to meet new people and interact with my fellow mentors.

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U.S. Fulbright

Adjusting Expectations and Finding My Project

August 28, 2013

Photo: Barbara Grossman-Thompson, 2012-2013, Nepal (left), and her guide and research assistant Bhagwaati Pun, reach Thorong Pass in Nepal during a 30-day trek in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

When I boarded a plane bound for Kathmandu, Nepal in August 2012, I was cautiously optimistic about the trajectory of my proposed Fulbright U.S. Student Program Study/Research grant on tourism economies in the Annapurna Conservation Area. Two months after my arrival, it was increasingly clear that, like many researchers, I would have to adjust my expectations. I spent a month trekking in the Nepali Himalayas accompanied by my guide, research assistant, translator, and friend Bhagwaati Pun, when I realized that my original research plan would need to change fast. Proper paperwork was held up, the research had already been done, and more importantly, the Nepali people I spoke with were both kind and frank in conveying their disinterest in my intended project! I felt lost and anxious about how to proceed. As a graduate student conducting her dissertation fieldwork, I felt my academic future was on the line.

I decided to take some time off from the academic side of things and put all my attention toward further developing my relationships with the wonderful community I was living in. My affiliate organization, Empowering Women Nepal (EWN), bi-annually organizes a free, month-long training for women interested in working as trekking guides. In Nepal, guiding has traditionally been done by men. EWN’s guide training gives women the opportunity to continue their education, learn new skills, see other parts of the country, and earn their own salary. During my participation in the training, I drew on my own background as an outdoor educator to teach classes on wilderness first aid, professionalism, and managing client-guide relationships.

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FLTA

Welcome, 2013 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants!

August 21, 2013

In preparation for their upcoming year as Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) at colleges and universities across the United States, the 2013 cohort of Fulbright FLTAs recently attended an orientation at Columbia University where they received training in not only teaching methodologies, but also best practices on how to navigate U.S. university and academic culture, as well as their role as cultural ambassadors.

Throughout August, seven Fulbright FLTA orientations are being held at the following institutions: the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, Howard University, Michigan State University, Syracuse University, Stanford University, and Arizona State University.

To gain some insight into what the Fulbright FLTA experience is like, watch the video below featuring interviews with former Fulbright FLTAs.

We would like to wish the more than 400 2013 Fulbright FLTAs all the best as they embark on their Fulbright experiences! Good luck!

FLTA Alumni Interviews from FLTA Staff on Vimeo.

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Foreign Fulbright

Eight Reasons Why I’m Grateful to the Fulbright Commission

August 14, 2013

1. People who haven’t been to Harvard complain that those who have will always let you know about it within five minutes of meeting you. Doesn’t matter if it’s a propos of nothing, they’ll always find a way of shoehorning it into the conversation. I’m happy to say I’m not like that. I wait at least 10 minutes. So that’s reason number one: I can tell people I went to Harvard.

2. At Oxford, where I studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics, I was taught in a very different way to the method. I was taught at Harvard. I didn’t go to any lectures, never participated in any discussions and only talked about my subject with my tutors. The tutorial system is good at teaching you how to think, but not so good at giving you an overview of your subject. I ended up with a firm grasp of a few things, but not much sense of how they all fitted together. At Harvard, by contrast, the basic model was lecture followed by class discussion. That turned out to be the perfect complement to the education I’d received at Oxford. It was like being given a map of my subject for the first time.

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U.S. Fulbright

Fulbright on Ice: From the U.S. to the Outback to Antarctica

August 7, 2013

Marvin Alfaro, 2011-2012, Australia, operates a conductivity, temperature and depth measuring instrument on board the Aurora Australis in the Southern Ocean

Australia is perfectly situated on the planet for me to pursue my atmosphere-ocean interaction studies. As an undergraduate meteorology major with a special interest in the Southern Ocean, I worked with oceanographers on projects analyzing the strength and location of ocean currents using remote sensing capabilities from satellites. After graduating, I became interested in combining the remote sensing data from satellites with high-resolution data retrieved on board a nautical research trip into the Southern Ocean. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provided just the type of opportunity I needed to pursue this unique cultural and research experience.

Initially, I expected life in Australia to be very similar to the culture and lifestyle I knew in the United States. But as a Latino and native New Yorker, I was in for a big surprise.

As a Fulbright Student, I lived with and learned from locals, allowing me to see the world through an Australian’s southern-Pacific lens. My Fulbright lasted a year, but the learning will last forever. In Australia, I realized how important Latin American cultures and cuisine are in my everyday life in the United States. Sydney is largely influenced by Asian cultures—Latin American influence is minimal. Before I arrived, I thought of surfers, beautiful beaches, and Sydney’s famous Harbor Bridge and Opera House. They were wonderful parts of my experience, but the Fulbright Program allowed me to experience everyday Australian life, not just see Australian landmarks.

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FLTA Foreign Fulbright U.S. Fulbright

Today is the Fulbright Program’s Birthday!

August 1, 2013

On August 1, 1946, President Truman signed the Fulbright Act authorizing the Fulbright Program for the exchange of teachers, students, professors, and research scholars between the United States and participating countries.

While the program has changed since inception (and continues to change), it remains the U.S. Government’s flagship international educational exchange program promoting global mutual understanding, leadership, and professional development, while building lifelong networks.

Go to the program’s Facebook page and wish Fulbright a happy birthday!

Watch the video below to learn about how Fulbright works. To learn more about the Fulbright Program’s history, click here.

How It Works: Fulbright from Fulbright Program on Vimeo.

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