Wife, Mother, Fulbrighter: Inspiring the Next Generation
As a Fulbright student in the United States studying for my master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences, in addition to being a full-time wife and mother, the Fulbright Program is an enriching, inspiring, and challenging experience — and that (latter aspect) is the best thing about it! This feeling that you have deep inside of more responsibilities than everybody else in the class- strangely- makes you the most productive of them all, or at least this is how it worked for me.
I have three children- Ahmed is in seventh grade, Mahmoud is in fourth grade, and Ali is the youngest, in second grade. I love knowing my children are growing up to see how resilient their mom is! They have watched me as I went through the application process — preparing my application, submitting it, and then being chosen as a substitute candidate. It is funny how they heard me speaking about my university choices, and they knew by heart the four states to which we might be flying!
They knew I never lost hope, and I always had backup plans. However, it was a great day when we got the mail and found out I was promoted to be a principal candidate! They were also excited to know we were moving to Mississippi for two years! Yay!
It was tough at the beginning helping my kids get oriented to their new schools because I was still trying to get oriented too, but we’ve all figured it out together. Their schools have helped me a lot and complimented my educational experience in the United States. It is inspiring to learn how educational institutions are keen to teach students how to accept people with different nationalities, cultures, customs, languages, experiences, and to benefit from the available diversity. My children go to school with students from all over the world, especially during their ELL special education classes, which are special classes to help international students quickly progress in their English language. It is funny how they would come back home with few Chinese or Spanish words they learned from their classmates. I love that my children are taught how to be inquisitive.
Despite my tight schedule and all the lab work, we knew we needed to take them to different events and celebrate new holidays to experience American culture and life in the United States. During school events, I got to meet and learn from American parents. Before COVID, we were fortunate to attend events created by their schools and my university, such as Christmas, Halloween, and the Fourth of July. Also, we’ve attended local events like a science fair organized by the physics department, and a space exploration event, organized by the local observatory. I have been to several birthday parties here, which are different than how we celebrate birthdays in Egypt. Americans plan many activities and fun games for children to compete in and win prizes, in their celebrations. There might also be a piñata which is a paper-mache animal made of cloth stuffed with candies and toys. Children will keep on hitting the suspended animal with a stick until it breaks open, and the children eventually collect the gifts. It is a lot of fun! I also wanted to take my children to other states besides Mississippi. They would travel in the car for ten or more hours, yet, they will stay awake to read the states’ welcoming signs as they pass by! We have now been to South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and southern Mississippi. We still have more on the list! still have more on the list!
I know my sons have learned a lot throughout these two years. My eldest son has joined the orchestra and the basketball team. He also enjoys planting trees. Mahmoud and Ali play soccer, and they love to draw! I am proud of all their accomplishments. They have helped me learn a lot, too. Sometimes, when I struggle with editing a video for my presentation, I will ask for my boys’ help. They have mastered video editing and computer skills in their classes. They also helped me learn new slang American words and about American culture through events that they celebrate in school, like Saint Patrick’s Day, which I learned about when they came home wearing beads and dressed in green.
This experience made me more aware of how other people raise their children. I was inspired by how other parents would constantly ask for anything that would puzzle them, even the Americans. This somehow encouraged me to ask about anything I needed to know, despite how trivial it was. For example, what are some gift ideas for teachers during their appreciation week, resources for tutoring, or places where I could sign them up for sports? I also had the opportunity, through the advanced English class of my middle son, to attend an International Parents Event. This was a valuable chance to meet with all the international parents and experience dishes from all over the world.
I have been lucky enough to have my children with me in the States. I am certain that this experience during their childhood is positively impacting their lives as much as mine! Who knows, maybe they are future Fulbrighters on the way!
Rasha is a Fulbrighter from Egypt. She is studying Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Mississippi.
