My Email Finds a place in the Fulbright Newsletter

One day when I was doing my Intensive English Course (rather called as English as a Second Language (ESL)) at an ELS center based in our university, I received an email asking me to submit a kind of report on how I was doing, and what my feelings about the Fulbright grant were. Having been only couple of months then, I felt so burdened and short of ideas to write. However, since I was mandated, I wrote a few paragraphs in a form of email, and sent it to them. Then it was forgotten completely until I received an email correspondence of the Fulbright Foreign Student Newsletter, Issue 10, published on July 2008. I scrolled down to check if there was any pictures, but I was surprised to find my article. Although, my article didn't address any issues or bear any professionalism, I thought it was cool. So I am reproducing it below:

EXPERIENCING A WHOLE NEW FULBRIGHT WORLD

by Pema Wangdi, 2007-2008, Bhutan

I am Pema Wangdi, a 2007-8 Fulbright grantee from Bhutan. Currently, I am studying at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.

To be frank, I didn't know that programs such as the Fulbright Program were offered by the U.S. Government, and I had never heard the word 'Fulbright' while I was in school. It was only after I took and received my Bhutan Higher Secondary Certificate Examinations (BHSCE) results and had my interview that I came to know about this program. Of course, our Bhutan Scholarship Division and Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) had explained several times what the program is, but I still couldn't entirely figure it out.

Pema Wangdi, 2007-2008, Bhutan

Since I have never ever traveled abroad before in my life, I was very worried about traveling and whom to interact with in such a developed part of the world! Several times I thought of cancelling my grant because of my fear of being in foreign countries. But to my surprise, everything was arranged to the fullest, and the only thing I had to do was to read the directions and follow accordingly.

The first thing I received was a welcome package. It had every valuable document inside and was of great importance. While reading the information, I noticed the Fulbright Terms and Conditions, the individual responsibilities, availability of enrichment seminar programs. We are given lots of opportunities to engage with fellow Fulbrighters from all different countries.

I have been here for a short time and my experiences are limited, but I would say that we are able to learn a lot and can return back to our countries full of new experiences, ideas, knowledge and views.