A Year in the Fulbright Life: Ali’s Story

For the next year, Fulbright MENA will be showcasing a handful of students as they study in the United States with their new series, A Year in the Fulbright Life. Each month, spotlighted students will share an update as they continue on their Fulbright journey.

August 2021

On orientation day at Brandeis University, I got to learn about the timeline and program layout of my Master’s course work, along with the policies and procedures. It is very exciting and satisfying to get to know the structure and curriculum of my program. I truly feel blessed to be in it.

I also learned the school’s motto, which perfectly summarizes my purpose here in the United States: “Knowledge Advancing Social Justice.”

Walking around Boston absolutely left me inspired as I stumbled upon the most innovative square mile on the planet, where many biotechnology startups are located. As a pharmacist and former biotechnology company employee, I felt so much joy being there and felt so blessed to be working on my Master’s near such a special place.

Sometimes, a picture speaks louder than words, just as a yoga group supporting such an important cause speaks louder than creating multiple social media posts. I was happy to be in such close proximity to the climate change fighters.

September 2021

I managed to organize the latest Boston Fulbrighters gathering in Cambridge! Everyone was very excited to meet each other. Fulbrighters from Harvard University, Northeastern University, MIT, Brandeis University, and many other universities in the greater Boston area all gathered together. I had the chance to meet Fulbrighters from all over the world, which I really enjoyed. However, I was the only Fulbrighter from the MENA region!

I recently attended my first baseball game ever! GO BOSTON RED SOX!!!! Unfortunately, they lost that day, but nevertheless I had a blast with another Fulbrighter from Australia.

Ali is a 2021Fulbright student from Egypt. He is studying Health Policy Analysis at Brandeis University.

Follow updates from Ali and other Fulbright students on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Check back here every month for more updates on the blog and Medium Series to see what Ali does this year!