My Enrichment Seminar Experience

I just returned to Spokane, WA after spending few days in Lexington, KY where we had our enrichment seminar on Global Health Innovations.

During that seminar I had the chance to meet very intellectual people from all over the world. I never felt more blessed and thankful in my life than I did during the few days I spent in Kentucky. I met bright, innovative, and ambitious men and women who were full of desire and determination to make the world worth living. Topics discussed were brilliant, and experts were there to answer our questions with great passion and professionalism. I was there asking questions, leading a discussion group, and hoping I could get full advantage of every single moment. Days went fast and soon the journey ended, but after it implemented in our souls the seeds of freedom, knowledge, and hope.

Previously, I thought that the Fulbright program aims to facilitate and enhance the mutual understanding between Americans and non-Americans. How myopic was that point of view! Indeed, Fulbright is successful in making us understand each other and think of our globe as a one beautiful home! Through such academic and exchange programs we become sure our future will be bright and peace will eventually prevail. 

It is a pity to only attend one seminar throughout my study period in the US. I believe there is still a lot to learn, more people to meet, and many adventures to be taken. In one of the presentations, I saw a picture of Mr. J. William Fulbright; without thinking twice, I was saying: thank you sir, people like you changed the face of the planet! History will tell that a man from Arkansas did the world a very big favor.

Thank you U.S. Department of State (Fulbright) for giving me that opportunity, thank you AMIDEAST for being the guardian of that wonderful program, and last but not least, thank you America for teaching me how the good in us can turn to great!

Walid Al-Soneidar is a Yemeni Fulbrighter who is pursuing an MHA in Health Policy & Administration at Washington State University – Spokane.

Summer Internship Opportunity

At TechWeek Chicago's Opening Party.

 

As part of my summer internship, which was at a design/entrepreneurship firm in Chicago called “Doejo,” one of the many projects that I was working on was a start-up called "ScienceBox" (www.sciencebox.co). ScienceBox is a start-up that provides online drug screening software that includes a prediction tool for pharmaceutical companies to use prior to the drug screening process. It is an intelligent system that gives companies the ability to perform drug screening efficiently before running any clinical evaluation. Pharmaceuticals are a $100 billion market and inventing a new drug costs around $5 billion alone, with most of that money being spent on drug screening. Our solution is fast, cheap and more comprehensive compared to current existing methods used in drug development.

At the ScienceBox Booth at TechWeek Chicago

 

By using our solution, drug invention costs are expected to be reduced for pharmaceutical companies. The concept of the start-up is brilliant and people were impressed by the idea and hopefully we will be able to launch the service sometime in 2015 with the help of the company’s advisory board. I have been helping them develop a business plan, the investor's deck, financial models and representing the company in TechWeek Chicago. 

Representing Syracuse at the MBA tour in Chicago.

TechWeek Chicago was a great opportunity to network and build relationships throughout the world especially in the booming tech industry. I have participated in the opening party, the booths competition and other seminars and workshops that were available at the event.

Nour Taher is a Palestinian Fulbright grantee from West Bank who is pursuing an MBA at Syracuse University.

An Experience of a Lifetime

I would like to share an incredible experience that was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. As part of the Tumor Biology Master’s program at Georgetown University, I signed up for a Breast Cancer Conference class where top-notch oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and surgeons meet once a week to discuss a current case and determine which protocols to follow with the patient. During the course, I got the chance to observe my first breast cancer lumpectomy at the Georgetown University Hospital. It was breathtaking! I was shocked as the surgeon, Dr. Oppong, looked at me and said, “Have you seen a surgery before? This can’t be your first time observing a surgery. You haven’t fainted yet!” To her surprise, it was the first time I ever wore scrubs.

 

Nataly Naser Al Deen is a Lebanese Fulbrighter who is pursuing a Master’s in Tumor Biology at Georgetown University.

Niagara Falls& Statue of Liberty Adventures

 

Being in the U.S. as a Fulbright student is like a dream come true; as I always wanted to travel abroad to experience a different life, set of beliefs, norms, and behavior. It is tremendously incredible living your dream. Sometimes, I do not believe myself that this is happening to me at the moment. Ultimately, I am speechless to describe my life experience in the U.S. so far. I am enjoying every moment of my time in the U.S. besides my studies.

The most adventurous trip that I have had so far was to Niagara Falls. We were two Fulbright students and six classmates, and we decided to make this visit happen. It was such a long drive--almost half a day from New Jersey. However, it turned out to be worth it after all. 

It was such a lovely adventure. I had so much fun watching the falls that border the U.S. and Canada. Both the U.S. and Canada have a boat trip on their respective sides to see the falls from a closer distance. After that, I rode the chopper (helicopter) to see the falls from above, and I took some photos as well. It was an extremely spectacular trip.

The view from above.

Another place I visited was the Statue of Liberty. It was a legendary day for me to see one of the most important symbols that represents the United States. I used to see the statue in Hollywood movies, and I was always wondering if I could make it one day to see it in reality. I booked the ticket to see it from the very top (from the Statue’s crown). Due to the high demand of admission tickets, I had to book one three months in advance.

To get to the statue, I rode a boat from Manhattan to the island. It took about 15 minutes to get there. There was an elevator that took us to the fifth floor, and then I had to climb 180 steps to the crown. If you have claustrophobia don’t go for it. The steps were very rounded, scary, dark, and compact. I had to take a rest halfway and take a deep breath. If I had decided to go back, I would not have been able to because there were a so many people behind me, and there was no space to pass by them. After it all, I reached the top. I felt that I did something courageous that I will always remember. I admire visiting places that represent a country’s history. I like adventure and taking risks along the way. 

Salim Al Mashani is an Omani Fulbrighter pursuing an MA in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL) at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

The Millennial Trains Project

The Millennial Trains Project is a ten-day across-country trip on a train for millennials to further their research interests and explore new frontiers in the US. I was over the moon when I knew I was selected for this trip. We had seven major stops where we had time to interview individuals, institutions and/or organizations of our interests. We also had mentors in these cities as well as on the train. Our stops were Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, Whitefish, MO, St. Paul, MN, Milwaukee, WI, Chicago, IL, New York, NY and then we flew to DC for the closing ceremony.

MTP train is not only about developing leadership skills and establishing professional networks, but it’s also about inner development. The time I took to reflect on my Fulbright experience in the US, my MA degree progress and where I want go from there was invaluable. More importantly, it was a great time to ponder about my life in general and my position in this world. The train car’s dome was a perfect spot to meditate and reflect while passing by some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country.

What I am sharing with my fellow Fulbrighters here is not an academic experience, rather, it’s one of great fun that I learned priceless lessons from. One of the highlights of my MTP experience was in Whitefish, MO. It just magically captured my all my senses. I never knew much about Montana and it wasn’t on my “to see” list. We kicked off with breakfast at Montana Coffee Trader and set out to the Glacier National Park. I saw landscapes that took my breath away. The scattered accumulation and compaction of ice, the mesmerizing greenery, towering trees, high mountains, and wildlife conjured up an excitement to explore the beauty of nature and the drive to sustain this God-sent gift. It compelled me to meditate God’s meticulous and marvelous creation. The beauty of the Glacier National Park brought back to memory the romantic poetry I studied in my undergraduate studies and soon John Keats’ opening stanza of “Endymion” came to mind:

A THING of beauty is a joy forever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

I was stunned to see how the rest of the group was also blown away by what we were seeing. I was observing our behavior. It felt like we stepped out of the virtual world most of us live in and came back to mother nature where smiles were illuminating our faces and delight coated our time. I learned that no matter how advanced our time might be, it’s one place that brings delight to the heart and tranquility to the soul. It’s nature that I am more committed now to be an advocate for its preservation. As we drove back, we came across a mountain goat family as if saying, “ Don’t forget to come back to nature. To come back to life.”

Ammar Mohammed is an FY13 Yemeni Fulbrighter pursuing an MA in Sustainable Development at SIT Graduate Institute.

Summer Internship in Chicago – the best there is!

Reading through my fellow Fulbrighters’ posts, I noticed the following testimony repeated: “The Fulbright experience is the best thing ever happened to me.” I second that! In fact, my experience has been three times more enriching and three times more transformational. Because it wasn’t only a transformational experience for me, but also for my wife Ameera and our now four-year old daughter Jude.

I will spare you the trouble of reading about all of the road trips we did, the beautiful places we explored, the various events we celebrated, the great people we met, and the 100,000 pictures we took along the way. Today, I will talk about my summer internship as a Gallup Client Development Intern in downtown Chicago – the best there is. 

Gallup is well known for the Gallup Poll which was founded by George Gallup in 1935 and was the first science-based company to read the American opinion. In 2005, when speculations in Washington were around the Arab and Muslim World hating the West for their freedom, Gallup established the Gallup World Poll, which concluded that the large majority of Arabs and Muslims actually respected the West for their freedom. The World Poll now covers 160 countries representing 98% of the world adult population and reading major issues facing societies and individual well-being.

 

Although I did not work with the Gallup World Poll, it was a priceless experience to be part of such prestigious organization. I worked along a team of 12 smart interns in the strategic consulting department, and my work revolved around building a Southeast Asia market strategy and helping a major bank in the U.S. understand competitive banking studies. 

The internship experience was more than I wished for. During a 10-week transformational journey, we had the opportunity to interact with Gallup scientists, practice leaders, and partners. The Chairman of Gallup, Mr. Jim Clifton traveled to meet us in person twice! In this picture, I am making my final presentation in front of Mr. Clifton, and the presentation was being broadcasted to the rest of the Gallup offices. 

Besides the actual internship, living during a Chicago upbeat summer was an engaging experience. Waking up to the sound of the train tracks, riding the brown line down to the loop, getting my daily coffee and donuts from Dunkin, and walking west to my office on the 47th floor on South Wacker will always be engraved in my memory. In Chicago, I experienced a once in a lifetime, “Pizza Tour!” and we got to learn the history of deep dish pizza in Chicago and got to visit the best Pizzerias and taste each of their specialty pizzas. By far, the best pizza I tasted is the tomato basil deep dish in Piziano’s. 

The summer in Chicago was very special in that every weekend, there was at least one street festival that was associated with a neighborhood or ethnic group. I attended several; I recall in the Taste of Greek festival I made a major discovery. I tried the Greek Honey Puffs. These resemble the Lukaimat that we have; except that instead of using honey, we use date syrup. I also found that this very dish resembles the American Funnel Cake (they look different but seem to have the same recipe), and use ice cream instead. Finally, I found that Italy also has something that resembles this meal, but they use hot chocolate. Look, we share so much in common! 

Mohamed Ebrahim is an FY13 Bahraini Fulbrighter who is pursuing an MBA at University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

A Woman and Electrical Engineering

 I was given the opportunity to participate as a panel speaker at the International Women’s Day celebration. It was really an enriching experience, as I got to meet a lot of international students, and I learned about women from Malaysia, Chile, India and Saudi Arabia. We discussed the role of women in our countries and how they can be leaders of change in their communities. We also discussed the challenges that women face in each of their countries and what they do to overcome those challenges. Students and faculty members who attended the event were really excited by what we had to say, and many of them came up to me and told me how much our talks inspired them, which was very fascinating to me. I was really happy that I was able to do that.

This event helped me to become more involved in similar events and the clubs that organize them. Based on the panel discussion, I was asked to present the same topic at the Honor Society for International Scholars’ (Phi Beta Delta) induction ceremony. My presentation was also about women in Jordan, my experience in Jordan and the challenges that I faced when I was studying electrical engineering at the University of Jordan. People often asked why I chose electrical engineering as my major since it is hard for girls to study it. My answer was that's exactly why I chose it: because it is hard and challenging and will motivate me to work hard to do well. It is hard for everyone, not just girls. I realized after my presentation that this is a universal issue, and not just for women. We all face those kinds of challenges throughout our lives, and a lot of them are just obstacles other people put in our way through lack of support, destructive criticism or misconceptions about what we can or cannot do. We just need to see those challenges as incentives to do better and not let them prevent us from achieving our goals. I hope I was able to get this point across to everyone at the ceremony.

I am now working with Phi Beta Delta to bring more people to join this great honors society. It consists of a lot of enthusiastic people who care about international students and cultures. They are really encouraging, and I am excited to be among them.

Frida Kiriakos is a Jordanian Fulbrighter pursuing an MS Computer Science at California State University, Fullerton.