The Fulbright Experience in Pictures
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Italy
Christie Ong - Fulbright Student
Home: Seattle, Washington, USA
Host Community: Siena, Italy
Disability: DeafPhoto Caption: Christie jumping for joy in Venice, Italy.
"I'd like to encourage more participants [ who are Deaf or with disabilities] to apply for Fulbright programs."
U.S.A.
Andrey Tikhonov - Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant
Home: Arkhangelsk, Russia
Host Community: East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Disability: Blind"For the first time in my life, I could get around on my own! I could go to any university building, to a concert, to a swimming pool independently. [The] American experience gave me so much in the way of handling my disability and improving my independent life skills. [The] Fulbright program made me believe in myself and in my abilities."
Photo caption: Andrey in a garden in Michigan
Sweden
Paul Jesilow - Fulbright Scholar
Home: Irvine, California, USA
Host Community: Upsaala/Stockholm, Sweden
Disability: QuadriplegicPhoto caption: Paul (far right) with some Swedish friends.
"Sweden has perhaps the best accessibility of any nation I have visited, including the United States. I enjoyed working and living in Sweden; doing the everyday activities of any citizen: going to the grocery store, the bank, traveling by public transportation, and meeting people."
U.S.A.
Dixie Olguin Lazcano - Fulbright High School English Teacher
Home: San Felipe, Chile
Host Community: Montclair, New Jersey, USA
Disability: Paralysis in right armPhoto Caption: Dixie (center, in purple), with her students in New Jersey.
Photo caption: Dixie (second from right) with her daughter and friends.
"The possibility to be teaching in the USA and learning new ways to motivate students reinforced my love for my profession and I'm convinced that every step in my life since then has been supported by the beautiful moments of sharing, learning and discovering. The chance I had to know more about the culture, to represent my country and share about it as well, were the other elements that made my [Fulbright] experience complete."
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Italy
Joseph Hill - Fulbright Scholar
Home: Washington D.C., USA
Host Community: Siena, Italy
Disability: Deaf"The best part of my Fulbright experience was my visit to school programs for Deaf children. I hoped that after encountering me, they would feel inspired and dream of possibilities for themselves rather than limiting themselves because of their deafness."
Photo caption: Joseph with the Siena cityscape in the background.
U.S.A.
Uyanga Erdenebold - Fulbright Foreign Student
Home: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Host Community: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Disability: Low VisionPhoto Caption: Uyanga with her service dog, 'Gladys'.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Fulbright Program, the Institute of International Education and Louisiana State University for giving me this great opportunity to expand my knowledge, enrich my experiences and accomplish my goals. I know I’ll be forever changed by my experiences in the United States, and I will share the skills that I learned with others in Mongolia."
China
Christie Gilson - Fulbright Student
Home: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Host Community: Hong Kong, China
Disability: Blind"Learning just how strong I am as a person has helped me when facing other challenges since [my Fulbright experience]. The hospitality of the Hong Kong people filled me with gratitude. The opportunity to learn so much about a culture so foreign to my own humbled me."
Photo caption: Christie (left) with a friend in Hong Kong.
U.S.A.
David Albala - Fulbright Foreign Student
Home: Santiago, Chile
Host Community: Austin, Texas, USA
Disability: Parapalegia"I thought [Fulbright] would be a remarkable experience, and I wasn’t wrong. Fulbright staff in Chile were very helpful and encouraging all the time during the advising, application and orientation process. They were able to address any disability-related questions I had, and I had no problem with accessibility at their office."
Photo caption: David in on the University of Texas, Austin campus.
Nepal
Franz Knupfer - Fulbright Student
Home: Boulder, Colorado, USA
Host Community: Kathmandu, Nepal
Disability: Deaf"It was incredibly rewarding to get to know so many students at the Naxal School for the Deaf in Kathmandu. I taught art to students who are Deaf for several months. I also taught American Sign Language to older students later in the year and that was just as rewarding. Having a service element to my project was so important. It plugged me into the community, gave me a sense of purpose, and provided material for my stories."
Photo Caption: Franz (left) with a friend in Nepal.
U.S.A.
Mohammed Ali Loutfy - Fulbright Student
Home: Beirut, Lebanon
Host Community: Washington, D.C., USA
Disability: Blind"The best part of my Fulbright experience was the cultural transition as a person with a disability, as I had to move from my home country to the United States. I enjoyed a level of accessibility and independence especially with regard to conducting my research and taking advantage of different resources at the university and in Washington, D.C."
Photo caption: Mohammed (left) accepting an award at American University in Washington, D.C.
A glimpse into the Fulbright experience for several students and scholars with disabilities.
The Fulbright Program, which is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, operates in more than 155 countries in every region of the world. Fulbright grantees take on a variety of roles and become active participants in the host community. They have a unique opportunity to make an impact on their host communities and share their experiences at home upon return. Fulbright projects span every major discipline and represent the cutting edge to the traditional .
