A Year in the Fulbright Life: Yara’s Story
For the next year, Fulbright MENA will be showcasing a handful of students as they study in the United States with their new series, A Year in the Fulbright Life. Each month, spotlighted students will share an update as they continue on their Fulbright journey.
July 2019
My last days in Lebanon were spent in my favorite places with my favorite people. Picnics in public parks, midnight walks by the Beirut Waterfront, and LOTS of Lebanese food. Saying goodbye was hard, but it was made smoother by the fact that most of my friends are also transitioning into new stages of their lives. We each went our own ways, promising each other to remember why we’re doing this next step and how significant our relationships were in the previous one, with the hopes of staying in touch.
Traveling to the United States was a long yet fun trip as I was heading to a Gateway orientation at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with 4 fellow Lebanese Fulbrighters. We grew closer in the week we spent together in Rochester, and we still provide each other with support and advice while each one of us now adjusts to our new life in different states. No one else can better understand what I’m going through and help me take it all in. I also met some brilliant people from the most diverse cultural and academic backgrounds at the orientation. It inspires me to see such dedicated youth striving to make a little difference, in ways I never thought possible. I was introduced to new fields, like humor in politics, new music from Trinidad and Tobago, and so much more.
The Gateway activities themselves were also enriching. We visited the Niagara Falls, a superb sight, and visited one of the weirdest and coolest museums one could ever imagine: Artisan works. It has everything and anything crammed everywhere with stranger and cooler items on any tiny spot you could land your eyes on; quite an overwhelming experience — a good introduction to what New York City (NYC) would be like!
Once I moved to the city, I was directly struck by its constant hustle and busy streets. But I was even more amazed to find nice quiet streets and chill parks. Of course, like the true New Yorker that I became, I first did the essentials: Times Square, Central Park, and getting lost on the subway. I also went to an outdoor movie at a park and a rooftop bar, two very different experiences that capture the diversity of the New York life!
August 2019
One Saturday, I went on a hike on Breakneck Ridge trail in Upstate New York with the Fulbright Alumni Association in New York. The path was tough and challenging, but the view at the top and the friendships I built along the way were totally worth the trouble. I like to think that it is representative of what my Fulbright journey is going to be like in the next two years.
I have formed close bonds with international students from across the world, Argentina, Korea, Italy, Pakistan, and many more places. Together we decided to overcome homesickness and Sunday blues by starting a new group tradition. Every weekend, we will explore a new museum in New York City. On August 25, we visited the Met museum and were fascinated by the temporary exhibition: Apollo, Camp, and the rooftop ParaPivot. We all agreed to keep coming back to the Met to discover all the exhibitions the museum has to offer.
For 2 weeks, I attended an intensive orientation at the Graduate School of Journalism in CUNY. It allowed me to get to know my classmates, and faculty and staff at my school. It was sure overwhelming and intimidating at first, but everyone here were of a great support and help to cope well with the transition. I’m happy to be in a challenging yet inspiring environment with people from all ages and backgrounds.
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