Fulbright FLTA Newsletter

My Blessed Year

I feel blessed to have been selected as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) at Florida State University (FSU).  In fact, this past year has been one of the best years of my life.

Maysa Abu Ammar, 2008-2009, Israel (center), with her students

The Fulbright Program allowed me to meet people from places I previously thought I never would.  I met people from the Arab world, Africa, Europe and Asia - all of whom came to the U.S. for the same purpose: to teach their language and share their culture.  Needless to say, meetings at the Binational Fulbright Commission in Cairo prepared us for the experience.  We were encouraged to participate in orientations and workshops.  The meetings were so well planned and organized.  They helped us to understand the big responsibilities we were about to undertake during the coming year.

My journey started in Cairo, Egypt where I met 113 Arabic Fulbright FLTAs.  I had never felt so proud in my life - 113 bright Fulbright FLTAs ready to fulfill their roles as Arabic teachers and cultural ambassadors in the U.S.  Then, I took part in the orientation held at Brown University in Rhode Island.  I met more Fulbright FLTAs from all over the world.  We represented more than 30 languages in one place!  Over the course of a few days, we became good friends who later traveled together, visited each other and kept in touch throughout the year.  Then, there was the final workshop in Washington, D.C. - the workshop we had all waited for.  We were eager to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, to catch up, share amazing stories and wonderful experiences.  We all were so proud of our students, their progress, our methods of teaching and our American friends.

I have gained many things during the course of my program.  I feel (and there is proof!) I grew professionally while working as an Arabic Fulbright FLTA.   Every morning, I was so happy when I entered the classroom and saw my students waiting for class to begin.  The students’ devotion, love and commitment to Arabic, my language, deeply touched me.  Our classrooms were full of eager students from everywhere who had different reasons to study this unique language.  Some wanted to study Arabic because it is not commonly taught in the U.S., some because it is holy, others because it is their grandparents' language and some because it is the language of their future business endeavors, etc.  Along with loving the language came an interest in the culture.  Language and culture are one and not to be separated.  In our Arabic department, we integrated language with culture.  Every now and then, we talked about a different aspect: family, education, holidays, respect, food, marriage, music and more.  The students were encouraged to be inquisitive so as to gain a better cultural understanding.  The students would leave the classroom in awe, happy to have learned something new and profound.

I got involved in a lot of cultural activities at FSU.  I joined different campus organizations and helped to set up events.  I joined the Muslim Student Association and we held events in which I gave lectures about Islam, Ramadan and the Islamic faith in general.  I participated on a panel in which students asked questions freely about the Hijab, women in Islam, prayer, fasting and more.  The best reward for me was when people approached me and told me I had changed the way they perceived Islam, or that I had changed their way of thinking about my religion.  Those reactions made me feel that I had accomplished something great.  I joined the Arabic Culture Association and we also had Arabic culture events where we introduced foods, textiles, books, etc.  Students loved those events and participated with a willing desire to learn more.

I’m glad I taught at FSU for many reasons.  First, I had an amazing supervisor, Dr. Zeina Schlenoff, who supported me and never hesitated to tell me how proud she was of me.  Second, God knows I made such great friends at FSU - friendships that will last for a lifetime.  They helped me from the very first day and never left my side.  I love how diverse they are.  They come from Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, the U.S., Peru, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Puerto Rico to name only a few places.  Lastly, I had amazing students who loved me, my language, culture and classes.  I love them too and it was heartbreaking to leave, but I know I must give the next group of FSU Fulbright FLTAs the opportunity to have great experiences such as mine.  I absolutely have no doubt that I am blessed.

To comment on Maysa Abu Ammar's article on State Alumni, please click here.   

Life with Meaning

If you ask me what class and professor contributed to my personal and professional growth as a Fulbright FLTA during my first semester, it would be without a doubt the Political Rhetoric class taught by Professor Denise Bostdorff, a brilliant teacher.

In my opinion, teachers should motivate and inspire students to learn.  Professor Bostdorff is that kind of teacher.  Her eloquence and competence, revealed within five minutes, prompted me to browse through the courses offered at The College of Wooster and enroll in one of her classes.

Naturally, I thrived on the lectures.  Profound articles and challenging assignments given by Professor Bostdorff illuminated the power of speech used by Presidents, politicians and political actors.  She also discussed how speech is commonly used beneficially and misused - and the ensuing consequences.  The visual aids (authentic photos and recordings of key political figures) made classes memorable.  Furthermore, Professor Bostdorff provided us with a valuable opportunity to implement our theoretical knowledge, enhance our organizational and leadership skills and embark on contributing to the common good. 

Professor Bostdorff divided the class into five political activity teams.  Each one signed up for a particular educational project: (1) to raise awareness among locals about the significance of DebateWatch, (2) to inform the local community about the Presidential candidates' policies during the 2008 election, or (3) to improve people’s understanding of campaign “special effects” (such as advertising design, brochures and flyers, filming candidates with different favorable settings, etc.).

Elvira Nurieva, 2008-2009, Russia (right) with her Political Rhetoric class team members

I am sure that Professor Bostdorff’s course gave everyone a new way of looking at information flows  - with x-ray glasses!  Above all, we learned a golden rule: whatever we do, we should think in advance about how it could benefit society as we do not live to mark time – we live and act with meaning.

To comment on Elvira Nurieva's article on State Alumni, please click here.