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Fulbright Program for U.S. Students

Fulbright Foreign Student
Newsletter

Issue 8 | May 2008

Rewarding Journeys
table of contents

After the Storm Comes Sunshine

by Marina Lukanina, 2005-2008, Russia

Breakfast with Japanese students; a trip to the National Museum of Mexican Art with a New Zealander and lunch in an authentic Mexican restaurant; a theater visit with a Guatemalan... This is the kind of diversity I experienced when I became a lucky Fulbrighter and was given an opportunity to visit the best city in the United States – Chicago. It didn’t take me long to understand that Chicago is indeed a “city of neighborhoods." This is one of the things locals would mention to a newcomer. Even the names of various parts of the city, such as the Ukrainian Village, clearly indicate who the residents of those neighborhoods are.

It is difficult for me to describe any culture shock or adjustment period upon my arrival in the United States since I didn’t really experience either. I had visited the United States through another program (Camp Counselors U.S.A) before Fulbright. This is how I came up with the idea that obtaining a Master’s degree and gaining more extensive experience with American summer camps would be beneficial to my professional development.

Marina Lukanina, 2005-2008, Russia 
Marina Lukanina, 2005-2008, Russia
 
I thought I was familiar with the country even though I had originally been placed at the University of New Orleans in Louisiana. The furthest south I had previously been was Washington, D.C. Yet the excitement and joy of being a Fulbrighter outweighed the fear of going to a completely unknown place. I arrived in Louisiana exactly two weeks before one of the most severe natural disasters in American history - Hurricane Katrina. Busy with relocating and settling into my apartment with my new Indonesian roommate, I had only a couple of opportunities to go downtown, visit the famous French Quarter, and to try the famous sugar donuts before the city was devastated by the hurricane.

Coming from a city - and even a country - that rarely experiences any natural disasters, the news of the coming hurricane seemed horrendous to me. It was as if I were watching a movie. I insisted that my roommate and I, along with her friend, leave the city before the officials announced the mandatory evacuation.

When I look back now, I can’t help thanking God that we were among the lucky ones who managed to escape at the right time. People often ask me how it felt; did I panic, feel despair or fear? I honestly don’t remember any of these feelings mostly because I received such great and immediate support from IIE's offices in Houston (where we evacuated to), New York, Chicago (where I ended up being transferred to) and Moscow. Right from the beginning, I knew this story would have a happy ending, at least for me.

I fell in love with Chicago and Columbia College where I was transferred even though I had never visited or seen the city. Simply because the college was close to the northeastern part of the United States where I had spent four unforgettable summers in camp (in Maine), I figured it would be a better place for my Fulbright experience. Little did I know at that time that the city would turn out to be perfect for me. It has since become a second home for me, a place where I first lived independently in a home, where I learned all the details about everyday life in America, like opening a bank account, paying a security deposit, writing personal checks – everything that I wasn’t familiar with before. Most importantly, my Fulbright experience has been incredible in terms of bringing so many new and interesting people into my life. That is something I will be forever grateful for, not just the graduate degree that I obtained, although obviously it is very prestigious to hold a Master’s degree from a reputable American higher education institution. Rather, the fact that on one of my birthdays which I celebrated in Chicago, I had fifteen people around a table from six different countries: the United States, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Guatemala and myself, from Russia.



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Submitting Photos to the Fulbright Photo Gallery


We are now collecting photos from the entire current cohort of U.S. and Foreign Fulbright Student grantees.


-- The first time you submit photos, please send an email with your contact information to sallen@iie.org or tclaudino@iie.org. This email should not include any attached photos and is simply to notify us that you will be submitting photos to a specific gallery.

-- Please indicate your grant year and the country in which you are engaged in your Fulbright program. Photos from non-U.S. Fulbrighters are organized by home country; photos from U.S. Fulbrighters are organized by the country in which they are conducting grant activities. When in doubt, please send us an email with your questions.

-- With all submitted photos, you must include a caption that clearly indicates your name, country and a brief description (i.e., the title of the event attended, location where the photo was taken, etc.) of the content of the photo.

-- If you would like to create your own gallery of photos instead of submitting them to a country gallery, please notify us and we will create a personal gallery for you. Again, please make sure to add captions to each photo you submit.

-- You can only add photos, not delete them. If you need to delete photos, please contact us.

-- Click on the link below to enter photo gallery's home page:

http://photos.fulbrightonline.org

Enjoy using the Fulbright Photo Gallery!



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A Passion for Nursing

by Inger Utne, 2007-2008, Norway

In 2007, I received a grant from the Norwegian Fulbright Foundation to fund my doctoral studies at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). This year of study in the United States has been of the greatest importance to me. First and foremost, I was given an opportunity to become involved with one of the most interesting and advanced group of scholars in my field of research - pain experienced by cancer patients during the terminal phases of their illnesses.

My time at UCSF has given me valuable insights into a variety of research programs by a very dedicated group of scholars in the Faculty of Nursing. I will take these experiences back with me to Oslo to continue my scientific work. I believe that the insights I have gained in the United States will be of direct use in my daily work with this important group of patients in Norway. Through my future work with students at the School of Nursing at the University College of Oslo, this knowledge will spread through Norway because our college is one of the most important Norwegian educational institutions for health professionals.

Inger Utne, 2007-2008, Norway 
Inger Utne, 2007-2008, Norway (on the left) with Professor Christine Miaskowski  
Besides the increased insight I have obtained in my specialized field, I have also had the opportunity to study first hand the methods of teaching and learning implemented by the Faculty of Nursing at UCSF. First and foremost, the dedication of the staff and professors employed at the institution is demonstrated in their daily work. Every day during this past autumn and winter, I felt the energy and the eagerness that the entire staff conveys through their work. You can really feel that everyone is working at full capacity, in both their teaching and scientific inquiry. With so much energy, devotion, and commitment to producing the best results, the staff and professors must be eminent and among the very best in the world in our field. I have myself profited from this commitment, demonstrated by my professor Christine Miaskowski, and her associates. Every time I needed help, I have been offered it. Every time I have presented papers, I have been certain my professor has worked through my assignments to improve my work.

The dedication and commitment of everyone at UCSF has been a great inspiration to me, and I will take both with me when I go back to Norway in the summer. I hope both my students and institution will be inspired as a result of my experiences.

 



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A Call for Articles with Photos


We welcome articles with accompanying photos for future issues of the Fulbright Foreign Student Newsletter. Articles should ideally be about your experience of being abroad as a Fulbright grantee (and cultural ambassador), and any relevant and/or unique musings you might want to share with your fellow Fulbright grantees and others interested in the Fulbright Program. The length of the article should be no more than 500 words and not require much editing in order to be published. The accompanying photos should show you engaged in program activities, or be illustrative of your article's content. Please submit your articles with photos within two weeks of the release of this newsletter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to receiving your articles!

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