Four Oregon State University students were awarded Fulbright scholarships in the spring and are now studying and researching across the globe.
With the Fulbright U.S. Student Program being an option for students who have graduated from OSU, students can choose to teach English or do research abroad. OSU students can apply to do either a master’s program, research or be a teaching assistant, according to the OSU Global Affairs website.
Emma Baugham is an OSU graduate student who is now doing geology research in Sweden through the Fulbright program.
Baugham said she is studying storm events in Western Europe during the Holocene and how they connect to current climate change patterns.
“I chose Sweden because Stockholm University has incredible geology and paleoclimate researchers I can learn a lot from, but also because I thought it’d be interesting to study climate change in a country that is taking it much more seriously,” Baughman said in an email.
Fulbrights are able to apply the knowledge learned within their chosen majors at OSU and bring it to their research programs like Baugham has.
“I think I’m most grateful to experience the change of pace and priorities of Swedish culture in comparison with the U.S.,” Baughman said. “It’s encouraged (me) to take breaks and prioritize family, consistently making time to spend chatting with others.”
Camden Schmidt is also a Fulbright recipient but enrolled as an English teaching assistant in Poland. Schmidt is experiencing the cultural differences between colleges in Poland versus the U.S.
“The culture is also much more formal — I am ‘Mr. Schmidt’ here, using a first name basis would be very odd. Polish university students also have far less readings and out-of-class assignments in their courses, most classes are a lecture with a midterm and final exam,” Schmidt said.
He continued: “Honestly, teaching was much harder than I expected it to be. Between coming up with my own curriculum, grading criteria, assignments and exams, it was very overwhelming.”
Teaching and learning from various locations have taught students like Baugham and Schmidt that change comes with flexibility and adaptation.
“But most of that was completed in the beginning. Now my focus has been on leading a classroom and my biggest takeaway is that professors definitely know when you’re on your phone and not paying attention. If any of my past professors are reading this, know that I’m sorry,” said Schmidt.
While each Fulbright does their own program through their year abroad, part of being a Fulbright scholar is to represent one’s country and culture.
“I have been given the freedom to choose my own curriculum, teaching approach and syllabus. Which was a lot to undertake, but I learned a lot,” Schmidt said. “I teach four classes at Akademia Nauk Stosowanych Angelusa Silesiusa, in English that is Angelus Silesius State University, in a town called Wałbrzych. Part of my job here is not only to teach but also act as a cultural ambassador,” Schmidt said.
