A Year in the Fulbright Life showcases selected Fulbright MENA participants’ program year, month by month, in the United States.
August 2019
The day I started my Fulbright journey was a day to remember. When you leave your country, family and work and set off for an adventure like Fulbright, you are leaping out of your comfort zone into the growth zone. This is where you develop and reshape into an innovated person with a different mindset.
The hardest part was saying goodbye to my family. Luckily Fulbright has given me a chance to reunite with them soon. I am thrilled to be starting my training at UCSF and I am confident that it will bring about an exceptional experience in science and cultural exchange as well.
September 2019
My family and I try to make the best out of our weekends by visiting new tourist attractions in the heart of San Francisco. Enjoying the breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge was on our agenda this week. Stay tuned for more SF visits!
Today I cooked a traditional Egyptian food dish known as “Mosakaa” for my lab mates. They loved it and asked for more. The best thing about a lab with multiple nationalities is that you get to try various cuisines. Yummyyyy!
I was so excited to volunteer at the “Bay Area Science Festival 2019” this month. As a member of the Broad Centre for Regeneration Medicine at UCSF, a Fulbrighter and a mother of three kids in the San Francisco Unified School District schools, it meant a lot to me. It is not every day that you get a chance to combine science, work, and family with fun. It was an amazing feeling explaining stem cells to kids of all ages and demonstrating slides under a microscope and lots more! The day was marked successful when I asked kids what they wanted to be when they grew up and most answered “scientist”.
November 2019
Glimpse of the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday. Bringing my family along was a great chance for them to experience parts of the Fulbright experience.
Our very first Thanksgiving dinner with some American friends that we were blessed to be part of.
It was the annual lab cleanup at the UCSF Lab which was followed by a Thanksgiving potluck where we all brought traditional dishes. Lovely times, hard work, and delicious food! Happy holidays!
December 2019
It was a rainy day, but rain wasn’t enough to stop me from running the UCSF Diabetes 5K Miracle Race, which was a great experience with my host community. My kids also enjoyed splashing in the rain puddles.
Fulbright is all about developing grit, and grit gets you through anything and everything.
January 2020
The highlight of January was going to the Fulbright enrichment seminar in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a great getaway and a chance to meet my cohort from all around the world. I especially enjoyed reuniting with fellow Egyptians.
February 2020
During February, we discovered several hiking trails and delved into Northern California’s astounding nature. Muir Woods and Montara State Beach were some of my favorite trails.
March 2020
Before shelter in place and lab shut downs, I was able to enjoy the company of my lab-mates during lunch breaks and walks in the park.
April 2020
While I continue to take care of cells growing in culture that need to be fed every day, I wear a smile under my mask.
Knowing that my time was coming to the end, I drove down to Lake Tahoe for a weekend getaway. Waking up to sunshine filling the wooden cabin and enjoying the spectacular view was therapeutic.
Eman is a Fulbright Student from Egypt. She is currently studying at University of California, San Francisco.
