A Year in the Fulbright Life: Amani’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.
July 2019
The pre-departure orientation before I left Morocco was of great help. I had many questions that the Fulbright staff and alumni kindly answered. They advised us on what to pack, the first things we should do when we step foot in the United States, how to connect with the international Fulbright community, and how to engage with U.S. culture and travel in the country. I enjoyed listening to the experiences of alumni, and I could already picture myself in the United States.
I also wanted to share this photo, which was taken during our orientation session after we were accepted into Fulbright in November 2018. This picture of us future Fulbrighters on the stairs will remain forever etched in my memory because it was my first step into the Fulbright world. I’ve always seen the stairs pictures from orientation on the Fulbright Morocco Facebook page and wished to someday stand there, so this my stairs picture! This was the moment when I realized my dreams were becoming true. I was thrilled to meet the other 2019 Fulbright grantees and hear the diversity of their fields of studies. There were people planning to study law, architecture, industry, and cinematography, just to name a few.
August 2019
My flight to United States was on August 5th and before I left, my lovely sisters and I decided to celebrate my new adventure around a Chinese dinner table in Casablanca.
We were told that as part of the pre-academic program we would be invited to the home of an American family for dinner. I prepared a Moroccan souvenir to offer which is a set for a Moroccan traditional bath.
My pre-academic program was at Wayne State University and it literally couldn’t be better. Every single detail was perfect: the reception, dorms, conferences, tour, museums, everything. My first landing in the United States was outstanding thanks to the devoted team in charge at WSU. I now have 88 friends from of nearly 60 countries and we are still in touch on a WhatsApp group.
I am very passionate about Egyptian culture. I’ve read and watched hundreds of documentaries but this was my first time seeing a 2000 years old Mummy of a Pharaoh. It was at the Detroit institute of Art as and I got to see it as part of the pre-academic program.
Our host mom for the evening, Sarah, put the bar very high with this memorable dinner. 10 different nationalities gathered around a delicious American meal. It was my first time trying Gazpacho and the discussion was very enriching. I felt at home in a very friendly funny atmosphere.
After my arrival at Wichita, a Moroccan Fulbrighter made my landing very easy for me. She kindly showed around the city. This statue is the keeper of the plains is the major Icon of Wichita city.
I was invited to a game night at an American house. We had a very enjoyable time talking and playing American games with other American and international friends.
One of the amazing things I am enjoying so far in Wichita is this bookstore where you are allowed to grab a book have a sit and read it quietly or even go there to do your homework. Books are my joy so I found in Wichita my little heaven.
On August 28th I participated in a ceramic workshop which is something I have always wanted to try. It’s a very satisfying feeling to make something with my hands. Also these bowls will be donated to Empty Bowls Chili Cook-off Fundraiser to benefit a Kansas food bank.
September 2019
On our first day out, an American friend took me to the Wichita Art Museum. There are some very innovative pieces of art where the artist plays with light and forms to make realistic shades.
The Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot tall steel statue created by a Native American artist. Every night, the Ring of Fire burns around the statue in a 15-minute ceremony that many Wichita families enjoy attending. It’s believed that the statue has been keeping a watchful eye on Wichita for 5 decades, and is placed where the Big and Little Arkansas rivers meet, which is sacred land to Native Americans. I saw the ceremony and was deeply moved.
This month, I joined an international student association where the members are from all corners of the world including many Americans. We have an event every month called International Women Connection, where we enjoy a homemade brunch and have very instructive talks about American and international cultures. This month the talk was about the seasons in each of our countries and we also enjoyed a craft activity painting wooden boards (which is pictured).
I also had an international potluck with some of my female classmates from Japan, Tajikistan, America, and I represented Morocco. Each one of us made a dish from her country. I prepared a Moroccan chicken tajine. It was a pleasure to taste all these different meals and to talk about our cultures.
What I have really enjoyed in this Fulbright experience so far is cultural enrichment. I met people from countries that I had never met or even heard of before. This picture is from the Saudi International Day. A Saudi friend invited me to learn about the history of Saudi Arabia and the culture.
October 2019
October was so much fun. I had my first trip ever in the United States with two international friends I just met. We drove 8 hours from Wichita, Kansas to Denver, Colorado. Denver is an amazing city, and I was lucky to meet some Moroccans there as well. The downtown is breathtaking, including the 16th Street Mall and Union Station. By chance, that was the first day of snow in Denver. Despite the freezing temperature, we enjoyed every moment of our stay in Denver.
The Union Station Open Mall was decorated with amazing lights and flags. The snow on the trees was also part of the masterpiece.
We also went to the aquarium. Behind me are the sharks. I saw incredible creatures and a mermaid show. I enjoyed an exceptional dinner at the aquariums’ restaurant surrounded by all kinds of fish and mermaids.
My next destination was Colorado Springs. We spent all day at the Gardens of the Gods Park. The above picture is at the Three Grace rock formation.
This picture is taken next to Cathedral Spires Rock.
One cannot go to Garden of Gods without taking a picture under the Balanced Rock.
As part of the International Women’s Connection, we made handmade wreathes to welcome October. It’s a blessing to meet all these international women from all around the world and of all ages. I enjoy our talks so much, and I made a lot of friends.
I recently participated in the APICS national competition. What I found different about studies in the United States compared to my home country is the applied learning. Even in class we study and analyze real world companies and problems. Despite the overload of homework and midterms, my group passed the first step and made it to the second round which will be in December. In this photo, we are recording our video presentation for the competition.
October in the United States is all about pumpkins. I tried some new things with pumpkins for the first time of my life: pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes… and of course pumpkin carving. In this picture, we had a pumpkin carving night with some American friends.
Amani is a first-year Fulbright student from Morocco. She is studying Management Science and Supply Chain Management at Wichita State University.
Follow updates from Amani 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 Amani does this year!
