Lessons of Imaginative Courage: Cultivating Growth and Perspective with Fulbright
When I first arrived in the United States, a country I had lived in before the pandemic, I once again faced a familiar expectation: the pressure to move quickly in a country that constantly demands learning, growth, and achievement. This time, I returned with a ticking clock; tasked with acclimating to South Bend, navigating my Master of Global Affair’s (MGA) curriculum, and establishing my Fulbright life at Notre Dame.
I arrived like the typical international student, equipped with dedication, organization, and time management to meet my goals before my flight out of Chicago in two years. It’s a familiar tension in all my exchange programs, but as a Fulbrighter and MGA fellow, it felt even more intense.
My internal struggle was this: how do you make time to truly absorb it all? The beauty of Notre Dame, the guilt of missing an early run around Saint Joseph’s Lake, the Friday events by Hesburgh Library, Saturday tailgates, a deep conversation with a student from Cabo Verde that expands your worldview, or even ending the day at the grotto in peaceful reflection.
Thankfully, the system I was in allowed for the patience and surrender I needed.
Indeed, Fulbright gave me a life-changing experience that strongly countered the vicious cycle of balancing it all. Over my two-year program, I developed a new inner lifestyle with several intangible lessons, ready to use when the next storm hits.
- Learning happens even when you don’t notice it
During my Fulbright journey in the MGA program, I had the privilege of working as a graduate consultant with Habitat for Humanity, supporting their offices in Peru and the Philippines. Immersing myself in different cultures and navigating unfamiliar challenges during my Fulbright Program were key to becoming a valued team member while helping these communities solve their problems.
What struck me most was realizing that growth doesn’t always come with a signpost; it often comes with struggles and challenges.
2. Unpacking one’s culture and opening up to diverse perspectives shape and lead to a new and better self
Several key events, like the Amideast Fulbright Reentry Workshop in Washington, DC, the Chicago career tracks, and earning a Spanish language scholarship from the ND language center, helped me unpack my own culture and open myself up to diverse perspectives (and I can’t underestimate the role of international foods in this!). These experiences fostered a growth mindset to explore countless ways to solve problems. I peeled back another layer of myself, which was crucial in helping me work to my full potential.
3. “When you go, go to give”
Fulbright isn’t just a personal achievement; it comes with the lifelong responsibility to give back to my community. I’m grateful to be serving the Middle East region in my current work. More importantly, Fulbright taught me that the opportunities I’ve earned, and those I will have in the future, span many layers of interest. Acknowledging those layers, rather than rejecting them, has been my wisest choice. It showed me that being brave means embracing these interests and using them for both personal growth and the greater good.
Simply put, being a Fulbrighter means having “imaginative courage,” which allows me to embrace far-reaching opportunities.
Marla is a Fulbright Student alum from Lebanon. She graduated in 2023 with a Master of Global Affairs from the University of Notre Dame.
