Fulbright graduate students share experiences during International Education Week

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周一, a Fulbright graduate student panel discussion kicked off International Education Week which runs from Nov. 13 to 17. 这个星期是美国和欧盟的联合倡议.S. 美国国务院和美国.S. 教育部, with the goal of celebrating and promoting programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, 学习, 交流经验.

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杰弗里·艾尔斯, Director of the 全球参与研究所 and Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, said Saint Michael’s is proud to be actively engaged with the Fulbright program in two capacities: Saint Michael’s students have earned Fulbright fellowships in locations around the world upon graduation, and Saint Michael’s hosts graduate students on Fulbright fellowships to come and study on campus.

Three Fulbright graduate students who are currently studying at St. 迈克在小组讨论中发言. Chayma Bouzenag of Algeria and Bernadette Samake of 马里 are both studying in the Master of Arts Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) program, and Afnan Allous of Iraq is currently working on a Master of Arts in Clinical-Counseling Psychology.

“The Fulbright program is one of the most widely recognized and prestigious fellowship programs in the world, with the goal of improving intercultural competence and cultural understanding between people of the U.S. and other countries from around the world through the exchange of people and ideas,艾尔斯说.

Bouzenag, 谁在小组讨论会上发言了, has been an English teacher in Algeria since 2019 and already holds one Master of Arts degree in Literature.

Chayma Bouzenag(摄影:Sophie Burt ' 26)

“我知道我做出了正确的决定，让圣. 迈克的 on top of my list because I’ve experience things differently from my other peers who went to a big campus in the sense that I am always seen, 以最真诚的方式倾听和照料,布泽纳格在事后接受采访时说.

“I have only spent three months here and I feel like I am already a changed person,布泽纳格说. “富布赖特真的会彻底改变你的生活. 它塑造了你的性格. It strengthens your will and impacts your personal and professional life in a tremendous way.”

“我知道，一旦我回家, I can be of a greater service and use to my community now that I am undergoing all these changes and going through these experiences,布泽纳格说.

Samake来到St. 迈克的 from 马里 and said the different educational system was challenging at first but that the program at Saint Michael’s has been positive.

“Being in a small community makes me feel ‘privileged’ because the teachers can feel our interests as an individual and best feed our need in knowledge,Samake说.

伯纳黛特·萨姆克(Sophie Burt ' 26拍摄)

“I consider Fulbright as an opportunity to build the cultural bridge between my country, 马里, 和美国,Samake说并注意到, “It will allow me to bring understanding about the American culture back home in 马里 and also it is the opportunity to let Americans 学习 about 马里 and its culture.”

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迷迭香Yargici, Director of International Student and Scholar Services said being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship allows a student to become an ambassador for their home country and supports the goal of achieving mutual understanding through educational programs.

“我相信所有参与者都会让我们的世界变得更美好, and I am truly proud to welcome Fulbright students from abroad to our campus as well as knowing that we are sending our Purple Knights on Fulbright Scholarships to all parts of the world,Yargici说.

Afnan Allous(摄影:Sophie Burt ' 26)

Saint Michael’s currently has four recent graduates who are serving around the world on Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Fellowships for 2023-24. 22岁的海莉·詹森在越南, Alexyah Dethvongsa在泰国报道, Natalia Navarrete今年23岁，在墨西哥, 23岁的杰瑞米·利特尔在西班牙.

“Hosting graduate Fulbright students is a privilege for Saint Michael’s College, and we hope to continue to attract talented graduate students to our graduate programs to enrich the campus community with their international perspectives and highlight the welcoming and supportive role of the College as an engaged and supportive Fulbright hosting and producing institution,艾尔斯说.

This year’s International Education Week theme is “International Education is the Future,” and Yargici said the Fulbright graduate students on the panel represented just that and have added enormous value to the St. 迈克的社区. Yargici said having international students on campus also allows St. 迈克的 domestic students to connect with people from other parts of the world and could spark an interest in them to study abroad.

“Going through the Fulbright application process is life changing whether you are selected or not, 因为即使这个过程充满挑战, you 学习 a lot about yourself and create new meaningful connections along the way,Yargici说.

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