What Fulbright Really Is
Here’s a hint: it’s just a job
When I first applied to the U.S. Fulbright Program in Spain, I chose to apply as an English Teaching Assistant. I had just graduated college and was aspiring to a career in education policy, but I didn’t think I had a deep enough understanding or a narrow enough scope of interest to apply as a Fulbright Research Scholar.
In my application, I specifically asked to work with the Roma population so I could learn more about educational equity firsthand. But also, I applied to be an English Teaching Assistant knowing that I love kids. Having been a camp counselor, a tutor, and a swim instructor for most of my working life, I was excited to be around kids again.
Although the Fulbright Scholarship I was awarded was for a teaching position, my advisors, mentors, and professors seemed convinced that I would be spending most of my time learning to be a cultural ambassador of the United States in rooms full of esteemed political figures.
Whether it came from the general prestige of the Fulbright name or the program’s connection to the Department of State, everyone around me seemed to think that Fulbright was the first step to a career in global affairs, international law, or diplomacy. I was advised to work on my dinner etiquette in anticipation of the hushed diplomatic conversations I was sure to have…
