A Year in the Fulbright Life: Mourad’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 2018
Heading to the airport for the big Fulbright adventure while exchanging my last face to face discussion with my mother for some time. She was super supportive of me applying for the program and my master’s degree and encouraged me through all the process. I couldn’t have done it without her.
Our first activity when we arrived to the pre-academic program was to get to know each other as we are about to spend three weeks of learning at Portland State University (PSU), undergoing an Intensive English Language Program for Fulbrighters. Every Fulbright student among the 35 present at PSU pinned the city they came from. I found out that I wasn’t the first Algerian from Algiers who has been through the Intensive English Language Program here at PSU. I wonder who came before me!
I enjoyed the warm weather of downtown Portland while discovering the city. Oregon is the fourth state I have visited and so far my favorite. People are so welcoming and the city is very young and active. It is also very safe and we have been doing a lot of fun activities all day long. I can’t wait for the next outdoor activities planned for us.
August 2018
This picture was taken during my pre-academic program as a part of the Fulbright adventure in downtown Portland, Oregon, next to the famous “Keep Portland Weird” mural. This slogan was first intended to promote local businesses, local art, and an atypical lifestyle choice. I could never have asked for a better destination to dive into the American culture.
During our Fulbright pre-academic program, we were invited by several host families to share our cultures and traditions around a meal. I was invited by this lovely family who lives in Vancouver, Washington. They happened to have a 16 foot sunflower that keeps growing year after year and no one knows why.
For my first birthday in the United States, we organized a trip to Seattle, Washington, where we got to visit one of the legendary cities on the west coast. I couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift than to visit the Museum of Pop Art while they had the Marvel exhibition. Spiderman looks authentic in that picture.
A map of the world found in Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. I was walking by Pike Place and saw this fisherman who sells fresh seafood and delicious salmon sandwiches. We stopped to grab a bite and saw this world map. To my surprise, a lot of Algerians visited this place. The salmon was exquisite by the way.
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