There are a million and one stories I could tell about my year as an FLTA in the US. I was lucky to receive the chance to teach German at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. All in all, I cannot say more than a simple THANK YOU, FULBRIGHT!
This program has given me the opportunity to experience small-campus life in the Pacific Northwest and to discover a beautiful region that was unknown to me before and that I probably would never have visited.
Applying to Fulbright Austria was certainly one of the best decisions I made in college. I learned so much from different cultures and made lifelong friends and great memories! If given the chance, I would recommend visiting Austria. Stellung, bereit, los!
I will always continue to spread the Fulbright spirit in the world and stand up for what I believe in, which is that diversity is a massive chance and a necessity for a society and its members to thrive.
I still think of my time in Austria as the most important time in my life. The friends I met while in Austria are some of my strongest relationships. And thank goodness for my skills in public speaking that I cultivated in Austria!
The lessons I learned from Fulbright Austria benefit not only me, but also the education of US students through my teaching.
Moving to Villach was extremely important in shaping who I am today.
"As Mark Twain said, 'Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness…' Surely, the best way that we can work to break down stereotypes and mutual misunderstandings is through living abroad, experiencing other ways of life, and directly interacting with people whose backgrounds and experiences differ from our own. This is one of the reasons that the Fulbright Program is so important."
"I have made invaluable connections through the Fulbright Program that have affected my life positively, sometimes in unexpected ways."
"Not only did my experience as a USTA allow me to hone my skills as an educator and learn more about the Austrian educational system, it also gave me a platform to expand my international education knowledge base, which I continue to draw on every day as one of the international admissions officers for Bennington College."
“Fulbright was a truly unique and life-changing experience and it continues to have an impact on my professional and personal opportunities.”
"...the people I met helped open my mind to examine challenges differently and to appreciate different perspectives, not only just to talk, but also how to meaningfully listen."
"The research I do on the song contest and the teaching I do back in the United States would not be possible without the lessons I learned through the Fulbright Program both as a student then and as a scholar today."
"Ich war bereits äußerst gespannt, ob mein erstes „Thanksgiving-Dinner“ in Amerika Ähnlichkeit mit den unzählig gesehenen Szenen im Fernsehen hat und ich auch tatsächlich die Klassiker der amerikanischen Küche und einen riesig gefüllten Truthahn zu erwarten hatte..."
"My year abroad as Fulbright German language assistant can be best described as a crazy rollercoaster-like adventure that led me on physical and mental paths that I had not even in my wildest dreams thought I would ever walk..."
"I have, however, chosen one particular experience to write about regarding leaving my comfort zone. There is a tradition at Bates College called the Puddle Jump. Every year in January, Bates students jump into a frozen lake. This year the temperature was at -6 °C..."
"Working on this puzzle, how landscapes influence rivers and fish, together in Seattle built bonds not only between scientists but also across our families..."
"The year... was the most memorable and rewarding, one both for my forty-two-year career as a professor, and for my marriage!"
"As I have – incidentally – just finished reading my “American Diary”, written beautifully in shorthand, I have so to speak re-experienced my stay in the States, but now I need a magnifying glass for reading."
"This opportunity changed my life in a unique, valuable and positive way."
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