As Fulbright Fellows, Holy Cross Graduates Search Worldwide Alternatives After COVID Stalled Research Overseas

From a need to dwell overseas after the pandemic stripped them of the chance to fulling a newfound ardour for instructing, seven current graduates of the School of the Holy Cross accepted fellowships from the Fulbright Students program for 2022-2023.

With seven fellowships, Holy Cross will probably as soon as once more be one of many prime producers within the nation.  This 12 months’s whole is probably the most for the reason that School had greater than a dozen in 2017. Since 2009, Holy Cross has produced 107 Fulbright Students.

Meah Austin ’22 and Anastasia Dulskiy ’19 had been additionally chosen as fellowship alternates in South Africa and Germany, respectively. 

The Fulbright Students program is acknowledged as one of the vital prestigious worldwide alternate packages on this planet. Since 1965, Holy Cross has produced greater than 160 Fulbright students. 

In partnership with greater than 140 nations worldwide, the Fulbright program affords graduating school seniors, graduate college students and younger professionals fan alternative to pursue additional examine and analysis or train English overseas. 

This 12 months’s group of Holy Cross Fulbrighters will journey to 3 continents experiencing the tradition in nations from Brazil to Timor-Leste. 

Mitch Baker, Taiwan 

What attracted you to use for the Fulbright Fellowship? 

What initially attracted me to the Fulbright Program was the overt emphasis on being a cultural ambassador for the US in a world that would definitely use extra cultural alternate. Nevertheless, as I researched extra about this system, I grew to become enamored by the potential for being a trainer, particularly to these from different nations and, in my case, members of aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. It by no means occurred to me till my senior 12 months that I had any need to be a trainer. I had all the time appeared as much as them: Mrs. Webster, my third-grade trainer; Mr. Meagher, my AP authorities and U.S. historical past trainer in highschool; all the professors I had right here at Holy Cross. These folks weren’t solely nice lecturers of their topics however grew to become mentors for big components of my life with reference to all types of issues — they performed such very important roles out and in of the classroom. Thus, I got here to imagine that everybody in some unspecified time in the future of their life must be a trainer in some kind in an effort to actually turn out to be a well-rounded member of their neighborhood.

Why Taiwan?

As a philosophy main with a minor in Asian research, I had studied areas in Asia but by no means had the chance to get real-world expertise. That was fairly enticing. Furthermore, I had a buddy in highschool whose household was from Taiwan. We bonded quite a bit in highschool and I used to be launched to their cultural traditions and meals. Bubble tea (aka boba, as numerous folks name it) has turn out to be fairly well-liked and is initially from Taiwan. He was the primary one to introduce me to try this and that introduction served as my foremost software essay. Little rewarding moments like that in life (interactions with cultures not all of us expertise) has triggered me to wish to turn out to be extra of a world/international citizen at a time when it appears many nations have gotten more and more adversarial with each other.

John Dashe, Timor-Leste

What attracted you to use for the Fulbright Fellowship? 

I used to be attracted to use for a Fulbright grant for a number of causes, however the principle draw for me was the chance to achieve worldwide expertise. As somebody who aspires to finally work in U.S. overseas coverage, the chance to take part in cultural alternate whereas dwelling and dealing overseas — and all the talents and experiences I’d achieve from that — was actually interesting to me. Additionally, provided that my deliberate junior 12 months overseas in Spain was canceled because of COVID, I felt that my undergrad expertise was lacking a world element, which made me all of the extra keen to use for a post-grad program like Fulbright. Lastly, I’m planning to use for grasp’s packages in worldwide relations within the close to future, and I imagine my Fulbright expertise won’t solely make me a stronger candidate but in addition assist make clear the precise route I hope to soak up the long run (U.S. diplomacy, worldwide improvement, and many others.), which might be helpful as I start interested by what forms of colleges and packages could be a superb match for me.

Why Timor-Leste?

My selection of Timor-Leste stems from a category I took my sophomore 12 months, Politics of Improvement, through which I wrote a paper that examined Timor-Leste as a case examine with regard to the function of worldwide organizations in growing nations. Through the means of researching that paper, I grew to become more and more fascinated with Timor-Leste. As somebody who’s excited about histories of colonialism, improvement and peace and battle points, Timor-Leste — a former Portuguese colony and Indonesian-occupied territory that gained independence after years of battle — represented a confluence of lots of the subjects I’m most excited about. My research and internship experiences have largely centered on Africa and I needed to increase my horizons and go exterior of my consolation zone a bit by making use of to a rustic in Southeast Asia, a area I’ve much less background in.

Michael Griffin, Slovakia

What attracted you to use for the Fulbright Fellowship? 

I select the Fulbright program due to the huge alternatives that it presents. Fulbright opens many doorways that I imagine wouldn’t have been accessible had I not utilized, particularly within the subject of overseas affairs and diplomacy. I needed an expertise that can assist me resolve what profession I ultimately find yourself in, however importantly, it’s concerning the experiences and the talents I’ll study all through the journey. For some, it may be powerful dwelling overseas with out understanding anybody, however I cherish these moments as a result of I’ve extra time to mirror and study what my strengths are. Additionally, moments like these have helped me turn out to be extra open to new experiences and study who I’m as an individual. 

So as to add, it has helped me turn out to be extra open-minded to find out about new cultures and concepts that might not have been accessible had I not traveled. I’ve been lucky sufficient to have been in a position to journey and examine overseas, and these experiences have had probably the most profound affect on my life.  

Why Slovakia?
I select Slovakia for a wide range of causes, for one, all through my life I’ve lived in a Western-centric society, having lived within the U.S. and influenced by my father’s Irish tradition, and having studied in Spain, Eire and Australia, all to numerous levels Western societies. Slovakia however, though now thought-about western as a result of it now belongs within the EU, has a unique historical past than the remainder of these nations due to its historical past. Slovakia’s historical past and politics are what actually drove me to resolve on the nation. All through a lot of its historical past, Slovakia has been beneath occupation by different nations; Slovakia was as soon as referred to as Higher Hungary and just lately Czechoslovakia. Slovakia solely just lately grew to become an impartial nation in 1993, splitting from Czechoslovakia. Apart from its historical past, its politics are fairly attention-grabbing, particularly in current instances because of the ongoing warfare in Ukraine. 

I additionally select Slovakia due to private causes: My mom is from Southern Poland, solely about an hour and a half away from the border with Slovakia. I’m fairly accustomed to Poland, I communicate Polish and have been influenced profoundly by Polish tradition, however I needed to study extra about Slovakia as a result of it shares the same tradition to Poland. I used to be pushed to study extra concerning the Slovak mind-set and lifestyle and the way it compares to its northern neighbor and to the U.S. 

Emma Keane, Germany

What attracted you to use for the Fulbright Fellowship? 

I used to be attracted to use for a Fulbright fellowship after spending six months instructing English and learning on the Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg in Germany. This transformative expertise helped me hone my German abilities and turn out to be bicultural and bilingual, and it perpetuated my need to assist college students enhance their communication talents. As a Fulbright, I hope to encourage my college students by means of my cultural immersion experiences. I wish to present them the thrill and potential bilingualism can convey, notably the enrichment of worldwide citizenship and cultural immersion.

Why Germany?

After being impressed by the spirited instruction of my highschool German trainer, I desired to achieve German fluency. Availing of each alternative potential to enhance my German, I studied overseas twice and declared a German main at Holy Cross. I like the German way of life, tradition and literature, and I’m excited to see all the new alternatives finishing a Fulbright there’ll convey.

Jake Mozeleski, Spain

What attracted you to use for the Fulbright Fellowship? 

To be fully trustworthy, COVID was one of many main components as to why I utilized. I used to be excited about this system earlier than the pandemic, however since I wasn’t in a position to examine overseas my junior 12 months because of the pandemic, I used to be much more motivated to use. This system additionally supplies me the chance to discover a brand new potential profession path in training with out making a dedication to an training graduate program and certification program within the U.S. 

Why Spain?

Selecting a rustic to use to was a bit tougher. I’m a Spanish main, so I knew I needed to use to a Spanish-speaking nation however was torn between Argentina and Spain. I ended up deciding on Spain, as my space of curiosity inside the Spanish division has been on the Convivencia, a interval in Spanish historical past through which Jews, Muslims and Catholics lived collectively in relative concord. My secondary challenge throughout my time in Spain will concentrate on modern reminiscence of this era. 

Sabrina Ramos, Brazil

What attracted you to use for the Fulbright Fellowship? 

Because of the pandemic, I used to be unable to check overseas throughout my junior 12 months at Holy Cross. This was an expertise I used to be actually trying ahead to throughout my time in school and so making use of to be a Fulbright fellow gave me the chance to journey and dwell overseas whereas being immersed in one other tradition. I actually take pleasure in working with college students of all ages, and being a scholar myself throughout distant/ hybrid studying made me wish to share my experiences with different college students in an effort to reinforce their studying experiences.

Why Brazil?

I selected to use to Brazil as a result of my mother and father had been born and raised in Brazil, and this can be a huge a part of my identification. Brazilian Portuguese is my native language and I’ve been lucky sufficient to journey to Brazil to go to my household on a number of events. I’m actually trying ahead to exploring Brazil by myself and make my very own experiences inside the nation. Being a Fulbright fellow will give me a brand new perspective of the tradition I’m dwelling in. As a Fulbright fellow, I’m able to make relationships with college students, native residents and see completely different areas of the nation that I’ve not explored but with my household.

Matt Robertson, Spain

What attracted you to use for the Fulbright Fellowship? 

The Fulbright fellowship was very enticing to me as a result of it supplied me the chance to widen my perspective whereas additionally touring the world on the similar time. One of many issues that I actually appreciated throughout my time at Holy Cross was the chance to satisfy many new folks on and off-campus. I needed to proceed to take action and the Fulbright supplied me with simply that, in addition to the chance to behave as an agent of cultural alternate. I hoped this expertise would support my future endeavors as I look to pursue a profession in medication and work with a wide range of sufferers. It’s actually a singular alternative and I’m so appreciative to undertake this expertise. 

Why Spain?

I select to use to Spain largely due to my expertise at Holy Cross. My first-year Montserrat lecture was referred to as Self and Society, through which we unpacked the heroic tales of Don Quixote and dove into a few of the classics in Spanish literature. My Spanish language programs additionally piqued my curiosity with quick blips about tradition and traditions. The Canaries had been particularly attention-grabbing to me due to their popularity as a historic fishing neighborhood, one thing I hope to partake in throughout my grant.