A Year in the Fulbright Life: Mostafa’s Story
Fulbright MENA showcases a handful of students as they study in the United States with their series, A Year in the Fulbright Life. Throughout the year, spotlighted students will share updates as they fulfill their Fulbright journey.
August / September 2022
My journey starts in Kansas with the Long Term English Program at Kansas State University.
In Kansas, I saw some street wall art in Topeka, KS, called “A New Day: Brown v. Board of Education” by famous artist Michael Toombs and incorporating art work from 90s youth. I loved that a huge number of artists and people from the community collaboratively worked on this project to showcase a new generation’s perspective against discrimination/segregation in school education.
I am more than 11,000 km away from my home country but still feel connected through gathering with my fellow Fulbrighters and performing the Friday prayers at the Islamic Center of Manhattan in Kansas State.
I had a great experience attending my first county fair and enjoyed watching the Cowboy Rodeo. This is an iconic event in the United States, which I had seen many times on television. The fair was hosted by the Manhattan community in Kansas. This year, the rodeo featured eight action-packed events, including steer wrestling, saddle bronco riding, tie-down roping, team roping, bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, and breakaway roping.
On the last day of the pre-academic program at Kansas State University with Fulbrighters from around the world, the cohort started a traditional costume party. I wore a traditional Egyptian piece of clothing with golden prints of the most famous symbols from the pharaoh’s era celebrating his origins.
After arriving in Massachusetts to start my program, I enjoyed a big lobster meal after a long day at Thompson Island. The day was full of outdoor activities and is part of the welcome orientation tailored for the students of the Supply Chain program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The activity day helped us, students and staff, to socialize and bond together.
Thanks to the great era we are living in and the ease of communication no matter how far the distance is, I can enjoy special occasions with my family and friends. Here, I was having a video call with my partner celebrating her birthday. To make it even more real, I grabbed birthday candles from the store and bought one of her favorite desserts which is an extremely delicious peanut butter cake from the Cheesecake Factory.
April 2023
Despite being far from Egypt, I didn’t let that deter me from celebrating Eid with my friends here in Boston.
I had the privilege of preparing traditional Egyptian dishes, bringing the essence of Eid from my homeland to the diverse community on campus!
How can I celebrate Eid without Petit four? These popular pastries are a staple in Egypt during Eid. This was my first attempt at making them alongside some of my Egyptian friends, and I was able to share some with my international peers. Fortunately, they loved it! Unfortunately, they were so popular I had to bake another batch on request!
May 2023
In late May, I reached the culmination of a year’s hard work — I successfully defended my capstone project at the MIT Supply Chain Symposium. This was an unforgettable moment, and I was proud to present to industry leaders, esteemed faculty, and sponsoring companies.
June 2023
This moment does not belong just to me. Hend, my life partner, traveled 5000 miles to make our shared dream whole. She’s the unseen force in my journey, the beginning and beyond. Here’s to us, to our achievement!
Some highlights of my year!
· Balancing academics with my love for storytelling, I was selected to be a key part of the leadership team to lead the social media content of MIT’s Supply Chain Management program . I managed to capture our journey, milestones, and events. My videos, echoing our shared experience, are now spotlighted on all the program’s social media platforms to inspire prospective students. You can see my work on the MIT’s Supply Chain Management Instagram account, Facebook page, Twitter account and LinkedIn page.
· Sailing: An adventure that has grown beyond a hobby. A year spent riding the Charles River waves with trusted friends, finding harmony in teamwork, and losing ourselves in nature’s rhythm. Not just sailing, but soul-crafting!
Mostafa is a 2022 Fulbrighter from Egypt. He studies Supply Chain Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Follow updates from Mostafa 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 Mostafa does this year!
