The Road to My Fulbright
I never thought I would ever be awarded a Fulbright. That was something that was reserved for people much smarter, much more worldly, and much more prestigious than me. Then, when I began my position at the University of Kentucky, I soon met three colleagues in my field who had won Fulbright awards—one to Southeast Asia, one to Finland, and one to Hungary. I talked with each of these colleagues about their experiences, and all three had very different, yet rewarding experiences. The one thing that I heard from all three colleagues was that the Fulbright was an amazing experience and one they would do again in a heartbeat.
This peaked my interest. Maybe this was something that I could actually do! But where to go? I didn’t have any international connections or projects that relied on a specific geographic location. For many Fulbrighters, they have a very specific reason to apply for a country based on ongoing research or professional goals. My curiosity was more general: What is profession of school psychology like in other countries? What do other countries do to help their students who struggle academically or behaviorally?
To begin, I searched through the catalog of Fulbright awards. Where would I want to study for a semester? Japan? Myanmar? Botswana? Panama? Most awards in the catalog are pretty open, allowing those from a wide variety of disciplines to apply. Then one specific award jumped out at me—there was an award in Hungary that was specifically for scholars who specialize in Education and Psychology. This is something that I can do! I contacted my colleague who had completed a Fulbright in Hungary and was pleasantly surprised to hear this was the same award he received, so he was able to give me some guidance. I was interested in being in a city instead of a small university town, mostly so my oldest child, Zoey, could continue her gymnastics training. So my colleague connected me with a Fulbrighter who was at a university in Budapest, who in turn connected me with several university contacts at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.
Thus began my desire to apply for a Fulbright award. My Fulbright application entitled Blending Psychology and Education: A Holistic Approach in Hungary was aimed at the award specifically for those in Education and Psychology. I knew my chances were slim; only up to two awards were awarded per year. I had no previous connections to Hungary except the desire to learn more about the country and my love for art, music, and Central European history. Imagine my excitement when I received notice in December that I was a finalist, and then in April when I learned that I was actually awarded the Fulbright!
I will be teaching two classes, Academic and Behavioral Interventions and Single Case Design Research Methodologies (two of my favorite courses!), within the Institute of Psychology at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary. I will also be doing guest lectures and presentations both within the university and in the community, collaborating with colleagues about research and professional projects, consulting with graduate students, and visiting local school districts to observe and learn about current practices. Yes, the whole family is coming too! It will be myself, my husband JonPaul, and our three children, Zoey (age 9), Willow (age 5), and Ronin (age 6). It will certainly be an adventure! I have started this blog for two reasons: To provide future Fulbrighters information about applying for a Fulbright and life during a Fulbright (particularly with a family!), and to let our friends and family follow our journey for the next five months. Wish us luck!
