“My Fulbright experience in Turkey reignited and enriched my artistic practice beyond anything I could have hoped. I was able to explore the questions I had going into the grant and further unexpected lines of inquiry were opened through discussions with my affiliates and spontaneous explorations. Turkey is like nowhere else and the specifics of a place create unique challenges and opportunities for growth. At every turn I was tested and inspired, going through highs and lows which stretched my creativity and fortified my resilience. ”

“Living in the Czech Republic is not something I could fully imagine until Fulbright; it was and continues to be life-changing. I am so grateful for the experience and hope that I can extend the tremendous generosity to others that I felt when living there.”

“This Fulbright experience provided a rich connection to a people and history that I’m related to yet knew so little about.
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“When time and a means of exploration seem like luxuries, Fulbright gave me that and more. It has forever changed the way I think and opened doors I never thought accessible.”

“As one of the 60+ RISD Fulbright Scholars, I wholeheartedly recommend this experience as a pivotal point in one’s development as a human being. Especially for an artist, any opportunity to engage and submerge oneself in a deeply interactive experience in another culture, whether to discover your own ancestry or a foray into regions unfamiliar to you, is an essential part of your development.

I cannot truly describe in words how influential and life changing the Fulbright experience is.”

“The Fulbright Experience has been the best year of my life. the opportunity to travel and investigate a culture I have so much interest in has led me to creating work I am immensely proud of.”

“My experience in Japan was simultaneously the most challenging and rewarding of my life. It started out tough, I was in a remote town in a foreign country where I didn’t know anyone or the language. But as I settled in, I learned how to adapt , make happen what I needed to, and seized every opportunity that came my way. By the end of my twelve months in Japan, I had learned a great deal of self-reliance and had also developed an assured new perspective on design that I still carry with me today.””

“We never feel better than when we dream. In dreaming, there is not any limitation and the pleasure of that possibility it affords is inspiring. When we try, there are no failures, only experiences.”

“The time I spent in Bangladesh instilled a deep sense of respect for anyone struggling to live a better life and improve society around them. I truly believe now that happy individuals build a happy society, and that the efforts of artists and designers to build a more meaningful, interesting and enjoyable world is a vital component of that goal.”

“I am still in the Czech Republic. Obviously it changed my life!”

“The Fulbright completely changed the trajectory I had as an artist at the time. I had a body of work that was created that I applied to graduate school with and was accepted with a full scholarship to School of the Art Institute in Chicago.”

“As a practicing artist, I felt supported by the Fulbright program and the organizations in Amman- and, in turn, I wanted to share my experiences with the community here in the States. My Fulbright journey has not stopped, and since returning to the US in 2010, I have served as a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador and then held a yearlong position as the Director of Academic Relations for the Fulbright Chicago Chapter. These positions allowed me to continue to promote my Fulbright experience and cultural exchange in the arts.”

“The grant offered me the time and headspace to make connections between career interests which had seemed unrelated. It gave me both a foundation and a forum for my inquisitiveness in archeology and subterranean architecture and helped me integrate those passions in my practice and teaching, both which orbit around my Italian heritage.”

“My experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Izmir, Turkey shaped and developed my current mindset as an architect and designer. Every project I work on now is framed with very similar questions that I asked when I was exploring the proposal Basmane: a Turkish Neighborhood in Flux in Izmir, Turkey. The experience I had had was unlike any other and I value the time I was able to spend focusing on key topic.”

“The Fulbright year that I spent in Estonia was one of the most pivotal times in my life, work, and career. My work in animation and installation continue to inform my practice, as does the experience of living and working in Estonia. Being fully immersed in the language and culture also gave me a chance to return to my roots and reconnect with “home”. Along with researching, creating, and lecturing, I spent a lot of time walking through the city, exploring the country, traveling, and forming lifelong friendships with people who are now all over the world. Summarizing my Fulbright experience in just a few sentences will never fully describe the enormous impact this unique opportunity had on me. Luckily, I am able to constantly advise and encouraged students with their own proposals, and know that the Fulbright program continues and constantly enhances individual, cultural, and global discourse.”

“Fulbright allowed me to expand my perspective on art as I interacted and collaborated with a diverse group of researchers. Now, I am eager to integrate the arts into different disciplines by pursuing art education.”

“My life has been effected by my Fulbright experiences professionally, creatively, and intellectually. The direct training with artists and scholars in situ was a holistic education that cannot be replicated in a classroom. ”

“My Fulbright experience had little influence on the work I created for my business but it certainly had a huge impact on my life. I am using stone setting more in my work now and strive to create pieces that have beauty as well as a powerful impact on the wearer and that combine both a contemporary and ancient feel - which is what I love so much about Italy. ”

“My year in Trinidad & Tobago was an exhilarating, challenging, and unforgettable experience. My time in T&T continues to inform my personal work and I am forever grateful for the Fulbright Fellowship. ”

“I found my Fulbright rewarding both personally and professionally. The National Institute of Design was a wonderful hosting institution!”

“My Fulbright experience went far beyond just completing a project proposal; it challenged me in ways I could not foresee. It also completely changed the trajectory of the next few years of my life, inspiring me to stay in Europe in order to pursue a master’s degree.”

“I have been in Austria just under three months but already I have met so many interesting people, learned a great deal from traveling around the country and have seen what feels like countless museums. In the department of stage design at the Vienna Academy of Applied Arts I have had the opportunity to develop stage design projects and learn about the field. Since many classes are held in German I’ve also been improving my language skills immensely. From these exposures I already see my life taking exciting directions I could previously, only barely begin to imagine! ”

“I am convinced the Fulbright Scholarship year is a profound, formative, and unique experience. The scholar is completely free to design his or her direction of exploration. This empowerment puts the designer on the spot to carry through and deliver. I believe this formula brings out the best results.”

“My Fulbright in Iceland was a pivotal period in my personal and professional development. I was able to explore, develop and create in an environment that was transformative for me, with the unfettered support of the Fulbright foundation. The relationships I developed with Icelanders and those living at the farmstead with me were unlike any I had ever experienced before and have lasted to this day. Some of the fellow “Fulbrighters” and I also established bonds that have endured and it has been wonderful reflecting on the journeys that started in Iceland. I found the Icelandic community to be one of the most supportive, welcoming and inspiring cultures in the world. ”