Fulbright Foreign Student
Newsletter

The True Meaning of an Independent Life

Sokkhoeurn An, 2009-2010, Cambodia, on the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I found my stopover at U. Penn useful as it served as a good academic training ground for the Maxwell School at Syracuse University where I am pursuing a master's in international relations.  After having attended regular classes and several graduate student-oriented workshops at U. Penn, I acquired several academic skills ranging from: writing a research paper, using a library, seeking academic assistance and handling graduate student life - all of which can contribute to academic success at an American university.  

Like other Fulbright grantees, my program has pulled me away from my family, colleagues and friends at home.  Yet, this experience has enabled me to learn how to survive and live independently without my family’s support in a new environment which is socially, educationally and economically dissimilar to my own.  In other words, I have realized the true meaning of an independent life on my Fulbright grant.

In addition to improving academically and personally, I have also had a chance to experience a diversity of cultures.  Because the U.S. is a cosmopolitan nation, I have been able to easily interact socially and academically with its people.  In addition, I had an opportunity to visit certain sites of U.S. legislative, executive and judicial powers.  Lastly, I had a chance to socialize with other Fulbright grantees at U. Penn (and at Drexel University, through a friendly soccer match) coming from diverse world regions ranging from Asia and the Middle East, to Europe and Africa.  This cultural diversity has not only contributed to promoting mutual understanding among my peers, but has also been beneficial to my field of study which focuses specifically on negotiations and conflict resolution.

My sojourn in the U.S. as a Fulbright grantee has been socially and academically beneficial.  I will share what I've gained with my country upon my return, with a view to further spreading the Fulbright Program's goals.  I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education for providing me with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience.

To comment on Sokkhoeurn An's article on State Alumni, please click here.     

Studying Tropical Medicine in the American Tropics

Being in Hawaii as a Fulbrighter is the experience of a lifetime that few would ever want to miss.  The islands are very unique in all aspects, the people are very warm and the weather is superb.  We are surrounded by beautiful landscapes, hills, mountains and water.  I am really privileged to be here getting a quality education, meeting people from diverse backgrounds and learning more about different cultures.

Winifrida Kidima, 2009-2011, Tanzania, preparing mixtures for a Polymerase Chain Reaction which helps to identify parasite genotypes in infected individuals

I find the program very intensive and enriching.  The teaching style at the University is good and requires one to work hard.  We are exposed to recent research findings regarding immunology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, parasites and viruses and more - all of which will be covered in the program.

Coming from Tanzania, I really have a lot of experiences to share with my colleagues regarding these diseases, particularly malaria.  As an academic and a researcher, I look forward to benefiting a great deal from this program.  There is so much to take back home.

Apart from my master's studies, I have met other Fulbright grantees from different nations.  We look forward to visiting several communities in Hawaii and having an opportunity to learn more about their cultures as well as sharing our own.

To comment on Winifred Kidima's article on State Alumni, please click here.    

Wishes and Dreams Are Powerful

Fabio De Leo, 2006-2010, Brazil, in the company of hundreds of a Adelie penguins while stopping in Maxwell Bay (located in the Western Antartic Peninsula) during the (Austral) winter of 2008 investigating the effects of climate change and ice melting on marine communities

The vast and poorly studied realm of the deep ocean's inhabitants is now, according to many renowned experts, facing threats from the non-stop and ambitious "gold rush" for mineral resources (e.g., oil, gas, manganese nodules and cobalt-rich crusts among others) and deep sea fisheries.  Given the fact that resources are becoming scarce in relatively shallow continental shelf waters and that technological barriers once precluding deep ocean exploration are now vanishing, the human footprint on otherwise pristine ecosystems is getting larger and larger.

Fabio De Leo, 2006-2010, Brazil, stepping into a submarine from the top porthole and holding a dive plan to investigate deep sea marine invertebrate communities and biodiversity hotspots to be preserved in marine protected areas

I come from Brazil, a country with roughly 7,000 kilometers (approximately 4,350 miles) of coastline.  Populations grossly concentrate themselves on littoral areas (coasts).  Urban planning and development are also central issues affecting marine life, not only in coastal zones, but also in the deep ocean.  One of Brazil's largest companies is pursuing deep water exploitation to obtain oil and gas, and it now faces challenges in protecting the important biodiversity and habitat integrity that surrounds hundreds of its oil platforms. 

During my time as a Fulbrighter in the U.S., I've found it funny that I have had to reintroduce Brazil to many colleagues from different cultural backgrounds.  Some of their preconceived notions regarding Brazil include that it is a country of soccer, Carnival and beautiful women.  I do not blame them since there are many persisting false notions about Brazil.  We are all guilty of holding false notions about other cultures to some extent.  It is in these moments when the Fulbright Program experience can help us change those pre-conceived notions.  Now I think that some of my colleagues, including some Fulbrighters, are convinced that we are not burning the Amazon forest because we are bad people, but rather, because of an array of complex socio-economic and political reasons that have been established over time by generations.

Since I became a Fulbright grantee three years ago, I have had some great experiences.  They include: direct contact with many well-known scientists in the field of oceanography and deep sea biology; taking a few dives on a submarine and going down to a depth of 3,000 feet to study deep sea biodiversity hotspots; and finally, riding giant waves in a research vessel studying climate change in Antarctica.  That was a fantastic experience!

To conclude, I'd like to quote the motto I learned during my Fulbright Enrichment Seminar in San Francisco: “Wishes and dreams are powerful things!”  Follow your instincts and learn as much as you can from different people, cultures and experiences.  Keep wishing and dreaming!  Aloha!

To comment on Fabio De Leo's article on State Alumni, please click here.