Penn State students are traveling around the world to conduct research, teach English, attend masters degree programs and more as part of the Fulbright Program, a highly sought-after nine-month international educational exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. This is part of a series of essays written by Penn State student Fulbright winners who have returned from or have just embarked on their trips.
This year, 10 Penn State students received the prestigious scholarship. For more information about applying for the program, visit the University Fellowships Office’s website. Click here to read more Fulbright Features.
— Art history scholar shares her experiences in GermanyDoctoral candidate Cali Buckley is spending the 2015–16 academic year in Germany, working on her dissertation, “Early Modern Anatomical Models and the Control of Women’s Medicine.” Read more here.
— Learning about water management, biking, sense of belongingPenn State alumna Molly Cain is in the Netherlands where she is studying water management and experiencing the “gezellig” hospitality. Read more here.
— Teaching, volunteering is eye-opening experience for alumnaPenn State alumna Amanda Thoet is an English teaching assistant in Döbeln, Germany, and spends her free time volunteering at a refugee center in the country. Read more here.
— Researcher explores archives and the outdoors in SwedenArt history doctoral candidate Tess Kutasz is conducting research in Sweden. Read more here.
— Malaysian experience shapes career for Penn State alumnaPenn State alumna Marcy Herr is finishing up service as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia. Read more here.
— German experience has life lessons for Penn State alumnaPenn State alumna Laura Dzwonczyk is serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Germany. Read more here.
— Penn State alumna making Malaysia homePenn State alumna Marcy Herr arrived in January to start a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Malaysia. After a two-week orientation in Kuala Lumpur, she traveled to the small state of Perlis in the north western corner of Malaysia to start her assistantship. Read more here.
— Scholar receives warm reception, preps for Austrian researchPenn State doctoral student Courtney Johnson Fowler has had the opportunity to tour Austria and catch up with friends while in the country for her Fulbright research, which studies German-Italian bilinguals in South Tyrol (Italy) and in Austria. Read more here.
— Cultural adjustments accompany research in CroatiaWhile conducting doctoral research in Zagreb, Croatia, Penn State alumna Emily Zavodny has found adjusting to the culture interesting, yet exciting. Read more here.
— Penn State graduate anticipates life-changing experiencePenn State graduate Marcy Herr worked in orphanage in Jaipur, India, for three weeks in 2012 as part of a trip with the Schreyer Honors College. The experience helped her shape her goals for the future. In January, Herr will depart for a 10-month Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Malaysia. Read more here.
— Alumna continues studies, enhances cross-cultural awarenessSophie Huddart is studying biostatistics at the University of Glasgow as part of the U.S. United Kingdom Postgraduate Fulbright Scholar program. As a Fulbright Scholar, she is also charged with immersing herself in cross-cultural understanding. Read more here.
— Teacher makes impact in and outside New Delhi classroomsRachel Passmore is a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in India. She teaches 55 students in each of her 12 classes and volunteers at a group home for underprivileged children in the afternoons and evenings. Read more here.
— Teacher shares experience, learns culture in South KoreaEmily Sabo is a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in South Korea. She teaches about 500 students and sees each class only once a week. “It's a lot, but you quickly start remembering names and faces,” she said. Read more here.
— Tanzania research opportunity gives student new experienceMichael Henry talks about his experience being recruited to assist with malaria research in Tanzania. Read more here.
— Bulgaria teaching adventure filled with everyday lessonsDana Ray talks about her experiences in and out of the classroom as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Bulgaria. Read more here.
— Time in Croatia helped shape student’s futureZach Jones talks about the urban development research that took him to Croatia and the experience that changed his outlook on the future. Read the full story here.
— Researcher aims to improve technical education in ChileStephen Mooney writes about his research on the social perceptions of career technical education among secondary school students and his personal experiences in Chile. Read the full story here.