One Year in Vermont: What My Experience Has Taught Me About What It Means to Be a Fulbrighter

This time last year, I was Googling pictures of Vermont whenever I had the chance. In less than a couple of months, I would be moving to a new country and starting a new academic journey. At the same time, I frequently reflected on everything it took to get to that moment: the moment I first thought about applying, the long hours of preparation for the standardized tests, the sudden wakes from my sleep as my restless mind found a new idea to mention in my statement of purpose, and the tears of joy running down my face as I received an acceptance letter from the Jordanian Fulbright Commission.

I knew I was ready. I knew how long I had been waiting for this and how soon this dream would become a reality. In a way, my dream of being a Fulbrighter was a haven that I would frequently visit in my head as I packed my bags, said goodbye to friends and family, and prepared to leave my home in Jordan.

Setting foot in Vermont and into my apartment last August was not an easy step. It was a culmination of years of hard work and determination. I was finally ready to take the leap to attain my Master’s in English at the University of Vermont. I established myself as an English language teacher and a student of literary criticism, and I made sure that I spread the knowledge I gained from the books I read to those around me. However, I knew there was much more to discover and learn and Fulbright was the path that would not only help me gain such knowledge but also help me apply it by spreading it to those who wanted to learn but were never given the chance.

There were many firsts on my Fulbright journey. One of them was walking to class while it was snowing almost daily for six months! These firsts also taught me new things about myself. I learned that I could adapt to new places, embrace new traditions, create new and long-lasting relationships, and never fail to celebrate small successes. Whenever I call my family and friends from back home, I tell them I have changed for the better, and tell them that I would not have known all these things about myself had it not been for my Fulbright journey.

Above all, being a Fulbrighter taught me to be a citizen of the world. It taught me to never feel hesitant about expressing myself and my identity and to always encourage those around me to express themselves, too. It also taught me to learn something new every day and pass it on to someone else. Being a Fulbrighter means knowing that learning is a process, that I can learn more about myself and where I come from wherever I am in the world, and I can take it all back with me on my journey back home.

However, I am only halfway through, and I see a bright year ahead of me in my Fulbright journey. As for now, I am preparing my thesis and currently conducting a project on finding women’s voices in exilic literature and viewing their journeys through a postcolonial lens. I am also spending time with my friends while enjoying as many new places as I can! Who would have thought that the same pictures I saw on Google were now part of my morning walks and evening views? Who would have thought that the little girl that dreamt of being here for so long was now watching herself achieve that dream? Who would have thought that I can study what it means to be an Arab woman in Vermont?

Thank you, Fulbright, for making so many of my dreams come true. I know you will be here for the second half of it, too! To my small circle of supportive loved ones, thank you for believing in me and helping me reach where I am today. To my beloved Jordan and my beautiful Amman, I hope you are proud of me. I am looking forward to my return since I have so much to show and tell you!

Joy is a 2021 Fulbrighter from Jordan. She is earning her MA in English at the University of Vermont.