Fulbright Fellowships: Mexico
Oct 11 '00
Five years ago my undergraduate advisor told me that if I wanted to work or study abroad, that I should not have to pay for it myself: there are funds out there. For me, it was only a matter of finding them.
Last Fall I researched and applied for a Fulbright Fellowship. By a stroke of luck and a little creativity, I am here this year in Mexico researching a public health project. This is an amazing program, for college grads, young professionals, and professors alike. Not only have I had the opportunity to meet amazing and brilliant people, but I have also had the opportunity to better acquaint myself with the REALITIES of Mexican culture---not just those elements of 'culture' that exist in Cancún or Acapulco!
The Mexican Fulbright Program is about 40-50 students/professors per year. I have a Garcia-Robles Fellowship which is for those folks in every discipline EXCEPT business. Mexico also has Fulbrights in bi-national business. One of the reasons that I was interested in a grant to Mexico is that it is a large and well-organized program. I did not want to be lonely, like the folks out in some of the smaller programs (Kenya, Belgium, etc).
During our Orientation, we had the opportunity to meet the other grantees, go to great museums, and learn about what we could and could not eat if we wanted to stay healthy.
All said and done, Fulbrighters are given a generous monthly allowance (enough to eat out every day and travel on weekends). We are expected to produce some kind of project, although the guidelines for that are somewhat nebulous. We are also expected to be 'diplomats', as evidenced by the reception that was hosted for us at the US Embassador's home during our orientation.
I write this review so that more people have a better understanding about the program, and consider this awesome experience for themselves. Although I give some more of the nitty-gritty about the program below, the information on the websites will not tell you about how cool it is to talk about Fulbright in med school interviews, the homesickness you will inevitably feel abroad, or the thrill of realizing that you really can read newspapers in another language.
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The Fulbright program is open to just about anyone who is or has attended college. It is sponsored by the Bureau of Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State. Every year several thousand people are sent abroad.
There are several categories, but the two major categories are: 1) Fulbright Fellows(which is what I have, for 'young professionals') and; 2)Fulbright Scholars Program, for professors or people with PhDs.
You can go virtually anywhere in the world, except places where there is political unrest (Cuba, Iraq, etc.)To become involved with the Fulbright Fellows program, you should:
A) Be either a graduating college senior, a college graduate, or a graduate student.
B) Have good grades. Good is relative, and it depends on the competition of the particular country that you are going to. Germany, England, Italy, Spain are very competitive, and you should have near a 4.0. For Latin America, I know people that had around a 3.5
C) Either design a research project or teach english abroad. Different countries have different specifications.
D) Speak the language required for the country that you are going to.
To learn more about the Fulbright Program, check out their website first: www.fulbright.org and www.iie.org.
Bon Voyage!
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Epinions.com ID:
ccarvalho
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Member: Carla Carvalho
Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 2
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