"I have no doubt that participating in the Austrian-American Fulbright Commission's US Teaching Assistantship Program gave me an enormous leg-up in the job search when I returned to the US, having gained international work experience through a highly reputable and respected program."
"The Fulbright year in the US truly changed my life. I met amazing people from all over the world, who I still call friends."
"It is easy to overlook the necessity of a program like the Fulbright whose effects are not always easily quantifiable in numbers, output or economically. But after my experiences as a grantee there is absolutely no question of the grave importance of the Fulbright program."
"The Fulbright Scholarship of 1963–64 was quite a door opener..."
"On my second Fulbright, I was fortunate enough to go to Vienna, Austria, and work with wonderful people at the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology. Again, the scientific research opportunities were wonderful, and I developed several great collaborations, but I was also fortunate enough to make friends with many people who also were interested in science, good food, and wine/beer!"
"My time in Austria was exceptional and I have returned every year..."
"I am now, in private, an ambassador between America and Europe, and I keep sending friends to the US to see for themselves. Fulbright made that possible. Thank you very much!"
"As a teacher assistant my year abroad was indescribable. I traveled to 8 countries in 9 months and feel as if I left a family and second life in Austria."
"This has allowed me to experiment with different styles and formats of materials and content delivery as well as observe a number of experienced practitioners with varied styles, which has accelerated the development of my own personal voice and style as a novice educator. This has been invaluable as I begin the lifelong process of developing as a foreign language educator."
"Through my experiences, I have been able to bring my international experiences into my classroom and show my students the many possibilities that exist outside of school. My teaching skills improved as well, having worked with non-native English speakers."
"As a direct result of my Vienna study, I completed my Stanford University dissertation on, and performed five of Mozart’s Concert Arias..."
"First of all, my stay was exceptionally enjoyable both from a professional and private viewpoint while I was in the United States."
"Altogether, the whole family profited enormously from our year abroad, and we returned home with wonderful memories - in short, a highly educational experience in a very comprehensive sense."
"Working as a Teaching Assistant in Austria allowed me to share my knowledge and experiences as an American with my students, fellow teachers, and friends in Austria."
"I received a second year term... which enabled me to start performing there as a singer as well as study."
"I owe my career to my Austrian Fulbright stay."
"I was deeply impressed by American ways of life, adherence to democratic principles, a culture of tolerance, mutual respect, self-critical evaluation of attitudes and behavior, readiness for reorientation and new starts after failure, optimistic outlook also under pressure, social responsibilities in society."
"This year proved not only to be the basis for a whole new perspective on academics, music, the arts, on life, but also paved the way for my future. Without having had this international experience from which I learned about a new culture, perfected a new language, was introduced to new ways of thinking, I would have never become the open‐minded, tolerant, internationally involved academic and artist that I have become."
"I strongly believe that student exposure to the international aspect of science is crucial to their further development as scientists and citizens of the world. This is especially important considering the internationalization of research, and the highly collaborative aspect of the work."
"The city's white landmarks were soaked in sunlight. As my taxi driver and I made our way in the early morning hours through Vienna's serpentine streets, we unwound from the city center the same way the districts unfold, like the spirals of a shell. I traced the historic route around the Ringstrasse to find myself amidst the cultural crossroads that is Vienna."
Submit your Story
