Romanian Alumni Stories
Thanks to the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, my experience was beyond my wildest dreams. When we hear about the 'American Dream,' we can only imagine what it takes or how one could be 'good enough' to be part of that dream. But this journey, offered by the Fulbright Commission, seems to be not only a bridge between cultures but also one between reality and the realm of dreams. Once you find yourself on that bridge, you can feel the most important values of humanity: trust, kindness, stability, honor, care, responsibility, and hope.
My Fulbright experience at UW Madison, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, in the field of animal welfare has profoundly changed my life. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and PI for their unwavering support and guidance throughout this journey. Their expertise and encouragement have enriched my learning and research experience beyond measure.
"It is about conveying messages, people, and ways for new learning to become possible. It is about a collective resultant and a meaningful community of learning, where diversity accelerates everything, bringing individual projects and work to places where imagining future(s) is possible."
Fulbright is not just about research and academic events. At least for me, it was also about meeting new people, experiencing the local food, trying to understand different values. For two months my wife and daughter (she is 9) were in Athens with me, and together we were able to travel to Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington. The experiences we had together were extraordinary, and my daughter was impressed enough to declare that she plans to come to college at UGA, probably around 2032.
"Looking back, I realize that the goals, hopes and dreams I had at the beginning of my Fulbright journey were far more modest than what was fully offered to me. Not just from an academic point of view, but the travels that I’ve made, the professors and colleagues I have worked with, the people I met and the entire cultural experience of having lived in the United States for two years, have been an axial part of this experience."
"The experience as a Fulbrighter will define my approach in driving entrepreneurship development and has reinforced my knowledge and expertise to become a changemaker in my community."
"I would say that the Fulbright TEA Program is ultimately about people. It is about a hardworking and committed team of professionals being there at your every beck and call. A collective effort meant to ensure a safe and rewarding time and space for each and every participant."
"My Fulbright experience at University of Illinois in Chicago, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs reshaped the boundaries of my world and broadened my horizon. The Fulbright experience is all about helping you explore your skills to the fullest. Speaking as someone who loves a challenge, the Fulbright experience was everything I had hoped it would be."
"Writing about my Fulbright experience in the past tense is probably one of the hardest things I had to do in my adult life, not because I am unable to, nor am I the type of person who easily becomes overly nostalgic, but simply because it was an experience I would have never wanted to end. The further in time I get from it, the more I feel how it has changed me, how spending forty-five days immersed in such a transformative environment turned me into an even more focused professional, a better teacher and overall, an improved human being."
I am very thankful and proud of my Fulbright Scholarship, this was the gateway for my first time in the United States of America and to gaining a fantastic insight into entrepreneurial culture. [...] I feel I have an improved mindset and plan to apply, shift and transfer some of this added value in the years to come in all my career projects.