Romania took hold of my heart in 2015 and since then has consumed my mind and soul. As with any genuine commitment, my relationship with this beautiful, complex country has grown and deepened over time as I have learned of its many tragedies, as well as its many triumphs. I have surrendered myself to Romania. [...] As I continue my Romanian journey, I marvel over the resiliency and fortitude of the people. I am fortunate to have developed close relationships, familial in many ways, with many Romanians. And I am eternally grateful to have been granted a Fulbright and honored to become part of this amazing community.
Workshop for High School English Teachers
On November 21, 2024, the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission and its EducationUSA Advising Center had the pleasure of hosting a one-day workshop for high school English teachers, under the title: “Widening Horizons in the Modern Classroom: Perspectives from the U.S. and Romania”.
The workshop began with a few inspiring remarks from Prof. Mircea Dumitru, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission, Peter H. Brown, U.S. Cultural Affairs Officer, Rodica Cherciu, Inspector General, Ministry of Education, and Nicoleta Rahme, Deputy Director, National Library of Romania, on the value of a humanistic and values-centered approach in education.
The first session of the day consisted of an engaging dialogue with Prof. Costica Bradatan, Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Texas Tech University and currently a Fulbright scholar in Romania, on the topic of failure, humility and personal transformation in the educational process. The keynote lecture – on using poetry in the high school classroom – was delivered by Prof. Patricia Seyburn-Little (California State University – Long Beach/ Fulbright Scholar, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi) and was received with enthusiasm by the English teachers in attendance. May Hong (M. Ed. Harvard University – Fulbright ETA, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu) talked about using literary translations in the process of language teaching, while Cosmina Almasan (Octavian Goga National College, Sibiu/ Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Alumna) approached the topic of teaching media literary through critical thinking by drawing on her experience in the TEA program. Last, but not least, Emmalyn Grace Oscarson (Baylor University, Texas/ Fulbright ETA, University of Bucharest) delivered a presentation on key aspects of American student life, while the Fulbright-EducationUSA advising team concluded the workshop by introducing the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds and talking about application pathways to studying in the United States.