Fulbright 2014-2015

[Mozartgirl53]

Super excited to have been accepted to Russia in research!! When I saw the P in the subject line I had a heart attack!!! 

 

Is anyone else here going to Russia?

 

I was also wondering when/how we will get details about procedures, stipends, etc...do I have to wait until orientation to find out? I am such an OCD planner, I want to know NOW!

 

SonaTina, wow! CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm so happy for you!!  (pump fist in air and whoo hoo!) You are funny; I'm the same way, like let's get this show on the road! I would love to visit Russia some day. I'll be excited to hear how your research goes!

[Mozartgirl53]

did anyone here get a research fulbright to cambodia?

 

Whodey1983, I received an Alternate to Cambodia. Did you apply? Would be interested in sharing projects. Am a bit disappointed and anxious all over again.

 

Hey whodey1983 and darce, CONGRATULATIONS on Cambodia! Darce, I hope you turn that (A) into a (P)!  Sharing projects is a great idea and hope you all get to do that!

[Mozartgirl53]

AAAHHHHHHH YAAAYYYYYYYY!!!! I'm so happy for you Motzartgirl, I've been waiting to hear about your status! You totally deserve it!  Thanks so much for all your encouragement on this forum, and I hope you know just how appreciated you are by all of us on here! Best of luck in your project!!!

Hi hopefullywandering, THANK YOU for the really nice congrats! I truly appreciate it. I think everyone on this forum deserves it. We all have solid projects, and I wish our government could fund them all! I am pulling for South Korea for you!

[Mozartgirl53]

Thank you Mozartgirl! Congrats on your acceptance!

 

Congrats Mozartgirl!!! I'm so happy for you!!!!

 

Thanks SonaTina and skosz, thank you! skosz, how really nice you are to stay on the forum to root others on! You must be a really good person. I have much appreciated your constant, unwavering support.

[Mozartgirl53]

Goodness! CONGRATS! I, personally, am very excited that mozartgirl received a grant 

 

Thanks SmartyMartey! I appreciate your generosity of spirit with everyone on this forum. You have been a constant cheerleader for all of us!

[Mozartgirl53]

Oh that is so AWESOME, focusing on women's empowerment! I applied for a research grant to Armenia, and I'm also working with women or would really like to. I was also in Armenia twice before (I am Armenian-American) and noticed huge problems with women's rights, although slowly there is some movement to address this. Specifically, my research would focus on ethnic Armenian refugee women from Syria, Iraq, and Azerbaijan (Iraq and Azerbaijan are the older refugee populations; Syria is of course way more recent) and do a multi-sited ethnographic study of their long-term integration into the host society via participation in NGOs and CSOs. This would for sure be an anthropological focus, but I'm hoping it can help influence policymaking and ease the stress of out-migration and UNHCR agreed to sponsor me. 

 

Fingers crossed for us both and whatever happens, we need to realize women's rights and empowerment is a huge deal, within our own cultures and abroad, so we should keep fighting for it

 

Oh Anahid! I can't believe it! I am so, so, sorry. I'm in shock. I read your project and thought, wow! This young woman is definitely getting her project green-lighted! Working with women's rights, both here at home but especially globally, is so vitally important to the entire well-being of the planet! And the refugee problem just multiplies daily, almost exponentially. And I thought being Armenian-American would really help you. I can't say how surprised and disappointed I am. I know you have a grieving process to go through and it's important that you do that. But when you're ready, please, please do not give up on this project! Women refugees need strong people like YOU to advocate for them! Remember, when you can, that this is not a rejection of YOU, or really even of your project! They just had too many good projects to fund and when the final decision was made, on that particular day, it didn't go your way. That's all. It is a good and very worthy project! And I know there is somehow, some way, that you will find to carry it out. It's not right now, not with a Fulbright at least right now, but it will happen. I BELIEVE in the good work you are doing and I BELIEVE in you as a PERSON! It's crushing right now; I get that. And it will be for a while. But NOT forever. I promise! We are here for you and we will listen.

[Mozartgirl53]

Spoke too soon. Alternate for Armenia. 

 

Alternate for China. 

 

Um. So I just got an ETA to Mongolia.

 

I screamed and jumped up and down for an hour and now I'm absolutely terrified. I absolutely don't believe this is happening.

 

Maginz, kmsy, CONGRATULATIONS on alternate status for Armenia and China! I'm guessing you have really mixed emotions at this point, plus the prospect of more, more, more waiting! Yikes! I hope against hope that you both make it to the (P) list!  And I hope the wait isn't too long.  People on this forum seem to think end of May is a good time... I hope you can both stick it out for another month! And, as others have pointed out, summer melt is a thing. People change plans all the time. Especially college students! I'm rooting you on!

 

twlk417, BIG TIME WOW CONGRATULATIONS ON ETA MONGOLIA!!! You must be sooooooo thrilled right now! WOW! Mongolia! I bet you'll have just an amazing experience there! I'm so very excited for you!  Don't be terrified.....this is REAL!!! Deal with it! HAHAHAHA!  Like GnosisExchange said, when you get the actual paperwork, you'll know it's real. I'm doing the happy dance for you!

[GnosisExchange]

Mozartgirl53, having you on this forum makes me so happy. Thank you.

[Mozartgirl53]

Congratulation Mozartgirl53!!! I have been rooting for you since I started reading your caring posts on this forum. As someone who was born in Africa, I hope you will have an amazing time in Zambia and you get to take sometime to explore the beauty of the Continent. Best of luck to you and to your project. You really deserve it.

 

For all of us in the cool Alternate Club or the "A" Team, hang in there!

 

Hi Maliyazi, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind-hearted congratulations! That really means a lot to me. Really. Africa is a beautiful continent and I have fallen in love with Zambia and the people there. Sometimes I honestly think I was born on the wrong continent. I have loved Africa since I was a tiny little girl and some missionaries came to our church and showed slides from Africa (can't remember which country-- I was like four at the time.) I thought right then and there, I'm going to Africa some day! Today, fifty years later, I'm not going as a missionary and I don't think Africa needs me to "save" them in any sort of capacity. But I love Zambia so much, almost as much as I love the U.S., and I am so grateful to be a small part in remembering and preserving a beautiful, rich, storied, and diverse cultural history. I feel humbled and honored the people in Zambia are allowing me to be a part of this project. I will carry this out with the utmost respect for the people who are entrusting me with their cultural stories.

 

And YES!  THE "A TEAM" SSA is on my list of sending out positive energy into the universe! Maliyazi, I really, really hope you get to go!  I will think of you every day and I will be right here as long as people keep posting, and that is a promise! Heads up: if you do get to go, the mandatory pre-departure orientation for SSA is June 16-18 in Washington D.C. Save the date, because I want to meet you there! :-)

[Mozartgirl53]

OK, I see I have bogarted the forum again, LOL.  Sorry for the massive postings! You all are very patient with me. :-)   I do want people to know I really, actually, inside feel the feelings as I write these posts. It's not just nice platitudes, I honestly rejoice with the (P)s, cry with the (NS)s, and feel mixed about the (A)s. This was a roller coaster today! Wow.  A lot of joy, a lot of sorrow. Hard to read through. Hard to respond to. I had no idea when I started this process, around a year ago, that it would be so emotional. Again, I thank you all for being there. I had my major panic attack freak out last week, and you were the only ones who understood why I freaked out. It was awesome to come on here and read all your wonderfully supportive posts. I will endeavor, in the future, to log on a few times of day instead of massively reading everything at the end of the day and posting like a thousand times! LOL.

 

By the way, I have lost track of the excel spreadsheet. Can someone post this link again? Thanks! 

[Mozartgirl53]

Mozartgirl53, having you on this forum makes me so happy. Thank you.

 

Thanks, my friend! I feel the same way about you.

[whodey1983]

Whodey1983, I received an Alternate to Cambodia. Did you apply? Would be interested in sharing projects. Am a bit disappointed and anxious all over again.

i'll send you a private message

[Shogun1]

I can't imagine how very frustrating this must be for all the Ukraine folks! I am frankly surprised the State Department hasn't made a decision (apparently) and either said it's on or it's off. Maybe they're waiting to see what happens in the next couple of weeks? John Kerry is putting a lot of pressure on Putin so who knows? I have no idea what would happen if they scratch Ukraine. I would really, really hope they would either defer your award or give you the option of another country, but I honestly have no idea. This kinda reminds me of way back when Jimmy Carter cancelled the Olympics when we were pissed off at Russia. Many of our athletes never got a second shot at participating; but this is different in that you don't have to physically train for four more years...the scholarship will still be there in your brains. I truly, truly hope you all get to go!

 

Mozartgirl 53, I have a contact in the State Department and this person has told me that they aren't letting Americans fly into the capitol city Kyiv because Russia may take that as a provocative move (she just told me this today in a phone conversation and the bit about the peace core volunteers was also confirmed by this person 2 or 3 days ago when we last spoke).  

But Americans are still allowed in the Western parts of Ukraine, which is where my host University is located.  My guess (and fear) is that the program will be cancelled since so many kidnappings and killings are happening in the eastern parts of Ukraine.  I really really hope this opportunity will not be squandered due to geopolitics because I do not want to be like one of those olympians during the Carter era.  If they do decide to cancel, I hope they tell the winners how they did and will defer their grants to a safer time (or even relocating them because that would be pretty awesome in of itself!!!!).

[Rachelrushing]

So who's still waiting? I know there are a few places left on the spreadsheet, but since some people aren't filling in Accepted/Rejected when the other applicants to the country do, I'm not sure how reliable the spreadsheet is at this point. 

 

In an effort to think about ANYTHING else while still waiting (and in an effort to procrastinate from working on this Philosophy project), I need to some new music to listen to... what've you got? I'm currently listening to The Apache Relay.

[Rachelrushing]

Also, those waiting for Ukraine, have you seen this tweet from the Fulbright account?

[Shogun1]

Also, those waiting for Ukraine, have you seen this tweet from the Fulbright account?

 

You just made my day posting this!!!! thank you!! I really hope they let send out information soon ))

[Kj002]

Turkmenistan is still waiting...

[Mozartgirl53]

Mozartgirl 53, I have a contact in the State Department and this person has told me that they aren't letting Americans fly into the capitol city Kyiv because Russia may take that as a provocative move (she just told me this today in a phone conversation and the bit about the peace core volunteers was also confirmed by this person 2 or 3 days ago when we last spoke).  

But Americans are still allowed in the Western parts of Ukraine, which is where my host University is located.  My guess (and fear) is that the program will be cancelled since so many kidnappings and killings are happening in the eastern parts of Ukraine.  I really really hope this opportunity will not be squandered due to geopolitics because I do not want to be like one of those olympians during the Carter era.  If they do decide to cancel, I hope they tell the winners how they did and will defer their grants to a safer time (or even relocating them because that would be pretty awesome in of itself!!!!).

 

So who's still waiting? I know there are a few places left on the spreadsheet, but since some people aren't filling in Accepted/Rejected when the other applicants to the country do, I'm not sure how reliable the spreadsheet is at this point. 

 

In an effort to think about ANYTHING else while still waiting (and in an effort to procrastinate from working on this Philosophy project), I need to some new music to listen to... what've you got? I'm currently listening to The Apache Relay.

 

Also, those waiting for Ukraine, have you seen this tweet from the Fulbright account?

 

Hi Shogun 1 and Rachelrushing, that is pretty interesting intel, Shogun! It makes sense. Does your friend have the sense that the State Department is sitting on the fence as far as the Fulbrighters go?  Rachelrushing, WOW! More grants than applicants? I sure do hope you both get to go!

[Mozartgirl53]

I think with the spreadsheet, which I did find by the way, you have to assume that when a couple of people start to fill in their application status in one country, everyone for that country has been notified. There are just some people who started out with the spreadsheet, but don't return to fill it in later.

 

Go Turkmenistan!!!

[huma_bird]

Hi Shogun 1 and Rachelrushing, that is pretty interesting intel, Shogun! It makes sense. Does your friend have the sense that the State Department is sitting on the fence as far as the Fulbrighters go?  Rachelrushing, WOW! More grants than applicants? I sure do hope you both get to go!

I believe it's the Fulbright Foreign Student program that has more grants than applicants (they need more Ukrainian nationals to apply before the May 16 deadline); HOWEVER it DOES imply that the Fulbright program is staying in Ukraine, and thus it is great news for Ukraine hopefuls!

[Shogun1]

Hi Shogun 1 and Rachelrushing, that is pretty interesting intel, Shogun! It makes sense. Does your friend have the sense that the State Department is sitting on the fence as far as the Fulbrighters go?  Rachelrushing, WOW! More grants than applicants? I sure do hope you both get to go!

 

She couldn't comment on that since she wasn't certain.  She just knows that the State Department is being very cautious about sending Americans to Ukraine en masse.  She also has no idea when Ukraine will make its decision on winning applicants.  Last years winner did not find out until 5.2.13.  So hopefully all the eurasian applicants find out by next Friday, 5.2.14, the latest.  

 

When I spoke with her, I did get the sense that she was holding things back from me.  But I can completely understand, given the current situation.

[Shogun1]

I believe it's the Fulbright Foreign Student program that has more grants than applicants (they need more Ukrainian nationals to apply before the May 16 deadline); HOWEVER it DOES imply that the Fulbright program is staying in Ukraine, and thus it is great news for Ukraine hopefuls!

Ahhhh yes, I actually agree with you now that I look at it with a clear head.  I hope you are correct, that this does imply Fulbright is staying in and with Ukraine for the time being.

[TeraFirma]

Tajikistan... Still waiting.

Pressing refresh on the forum as much as I am updating my email at this point.

Edited April 26, 2014 by TeraFirma

[huma_bird]

Tajikistan... Still waiting.

Pressing refresh on the forum as much as I am updating my email at this point.

I'm wIth you on this... I was about to leave the house on Friday when new status posts appeared for Armenia and China (and I was very sad to see NS for Anahid), I had to pry myself off the computer to leave (I don't have a smartphone and thus can't check my email when away). Seeing as Tajikistan and the rest of Central Asia found out on April 29 last year, I was prepared to wait until next week, but the last-minute posts so late on Friday really got me excited/nervous. 

 

I was quite a sight when I received a letter from IIE last week. Thin envelope, just one page... my hands trembled when I opened it. However, it was informing me that I did not receive a Boren Fellowship, which I already knew via email the previous week. Never have I been so relieved to read a rejection letter!

[TeraFirma]

I'm wIth you on this... I was about to leave the house on Friday when new status posts appeared for Armenia and China (and I was very sad to see NS for Anahid), I had to pry myself off the computer to leave (I don't have a smartphone and thus can't check my email when away). Seeing as Tajikistan and the rest of Central Asia found out on April 29 last year, I was prepared to wait until next week, but the last-minute posts so late on Friday really got me excited/nervous.

I was quite a sight when I received a letter from IIE last week. Thin envelope, just one page... my hands trembled when I opened it. However, it was informing me that I did not receive a Boren Fellowship, which I already knew via email the previous week. Never have I been so relieved to read a rejection letter!

Wishful thinking on my part hoping it's before that date. Fixated on dates and the spreadsheet, trying to analyze whatever information I have!

Ahh! An envelope--the torture I would have felt. It seems so time consuming going through the process of opening an actual envelope compared to spotting a P (hopefulllllllly) in the subject line!

Next week, Tajikistan!