Fulbright Dispatch From The Netherlands

A little over a year ago, my life changed when I was selected as a recipient of a Fulbright award to the Netherlands to study at Maastricht University. Within the span of a minute, I realized that I would soon be moving thousands of miles away to a foreign country. I am here sharing some reflections on my Fulbright award near the end of my time in the Netherlands.  

When most people think of the Netherlands, they often think of Amsterdam or the Hague, both beautiful cities. A few hours south, though, lies Maastricht, where I am lucky to be residing for my studies. Maastricht is quite the international hub, nestled between the borders of Belgium and Germany. On my walks to the market, I hear combinations of Dutch, German, and French. And one of my favorite parts of Maastricht is that I can say I go through Belgium on my morning runs! How amazing is that? While I have accumulated many amazing stories from my time here, I think the beauty of living in a foreign country is in the small things that sometimes go unappreciated. For one, I have a new appreciation for sunny days, as the fall and winter in the Netherlands comes with clouds and a lot of rain. There was even a new record set last December for the most days without sun since the 1950s! 

In my daily life, I enjoy cycling to class, where I pass the building where the European Union was formed. I often sit at one of the many cafés around town and spend time with friends, sharing stories about our home countries and cultures. With the arrival of Spring and sunnier weather, I have found myself going on more strolls around Tapijn Park, where I can walk along the ancient city walls that date back to the Middle Ages. On the weekends, I try to explore other cities in the Netherlands, such as The Hague, Harlem, Utrecht, and Zaandam. I have also taken advantage of living in the heart of Europe, a continent I had never traveled to before this year. My favorite international trips have been to Edinburgh, Rome, and Paris. In my global health program, we often discuss being citizens of the world and how that is exemplified in our ability to travel and interact with different cultures. 

At Maastricht University, I am studying for my Master of Science in Global Health. Many of my peers are physicians, pharmacists, dentists, and other healthcare professionals who offer critical insights. I find myself amazed by my peers and love learning from such diverse perspectives. The setting of Maastricht University further nurtures a very international student population, with my problem-based learning (PBL) sessions often representing five or more countries with twice as many students. In my “Health in Times of Crisis” class, we analyzed how crises are constructed to convey narratives to the public, and as students, we created activities to lead the class in discussion. We are also currently preparing to travel to India, where, as a program, we engage in a Learning Symposium alongside universities from Canada, Bangladesh, Thailand, and India. There, we will work with these students to analyze various global health topics, such as One Health and disease surveillance. I look forward to learning more about this topic while engaging with global health students worldwide. 

Reflecting on this year, I am in awe of everything I have experienced and learned. When I first heard of the Fulbright program as a junior at Baylor University, I never could have imagined where it would take me. At first, I did not think I would apply, for I was scared of failure. I am grateful to the Baylor Office of Engaged Learning for supporting my application and helping me make this dream a reality. When talking to my Fulbright cohort, I don’t think any of us believed we would be here. There is no perfect applicant. However, I see that my peers and I are each very passionate about our programs or research. 

The best preparation for future Fulbright applicants is to look at your own passions and see which Fulbright opportunities align with those. When preparing your application, convey that passion and tell your story. In my Fulbright cohort, I can see how each of our passions allows us to interact uniquely with our host country, molding us into citizens of the world. So, take the risk and put yourself out there; you may soon have the opportunity of a lifetime to live and study around the world.