Fulbright Stories

My Fulbright, as seen through fruit Baan Nam Suay, my host placement for my ETA year in Thailand, is a village located on the border of Udon Thani and Nong Khai provinces. The Nam Suay Wittaya school is a small but mighty school, home to the warmest of teachers and students. And what better community to learn about Thailand’s fruit scene than Nam Suay? Nam Suay’s culture of family style eating prevails, ingrained in my daily life at the dining table at school. Following each

A Fulbright ETA shares how greeting in Thailand, from the 'wai' nickname, became a language of connection, community, and cultural exchange. The Languages of Hello ‍ If this year has taught me anything, it’s that a simple “hello” can be expressed in many ways. ‍ When I first arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, I was met with a greeting of “Sawasdee ka!” a phrase I was only loosely familiar with. From my early days of “suadi-ka” to today’s “sa-wa-dee-ka,” with

After spending countless hours immersed in data-driven stories during my early years as a rookie journalist, I realized that data journalism — the craft of using data analysis and visualization to unearth patterns, trends, and insights on complex issues and inform audiences in a compelling way — would be my next frontier to explore. ‍ I began searching for a program that could deepen my passion and hone my skills, and eventually, the United States became my ultimate destinat

My First Solo Adventure: A Test of the TEA Fulbright Program My first big trip across the ocean for the TEA Fulbright program started with a surprise. When I landed in Atlanta, the weather was wild with a snowstorm, the airport was huge and packed, and my next flight was canceled. This meant I immediately had to use my problem-solving skills to figure out how to get to where I needed to be that night. Luckily, I used the airline's app and was able to rebook for 10 PM. My bags