The Fulbright Program: A Fast-Pass to a World of Yes

I have always believed that studying on the Fulbright Program was like chasing the stars; it seemed impossible. I found myself underestimating my abilities, my leadership skills, and my strong determination to reach my goals, which pulled me away from applying for Fulbright. I often caught myself saying, “Fulbright is only for exceptionally smart people” without realizing that two years later, I would be recognized as one of the 10% outstanding students in the United States studying on the Fulbright Program. One night, I decided to change my negative mindset and took that leap of faith to apply for the Fulbright Program.

I started my program to obtain my Master of Arts in Global Development at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. I realized how important studying with the Fulbright Program was when the Dean of my university instructed me to introduce myself as the first Fulbrighter in my class. I was very grateful for the opportunity and wanted to prove to the U.S. State Department that I was going to do my best to change the world with Fulbright. I managed to successfully stand out both academically and socially. 

Graduating with a 4.0 GPA, being recognized as one of the 10% outstanding students in the United States, being selected for three honors societies, and getting chosen by the dean and my advisor for the academic excellence award set the stage for my academic career.

After being so academically involved, I was chosen to present my paper on Child Marriage and Human Security at the New England Political Science Association (NEPSA) conference in Portland, Maine.I always wanted to work at Save the Children International, so I decided to apply with my newfound confidence as a Fulbrighter. Never would I have thought in my wildest dreams that I would be accepted for the position and would be welcomed with, “We are very proud to have a Fulbrighter who was selected by the U.S. State Department to be on board with us.” It was in that moment that I realized the power of the word “Fulbrighter.” Suddenly, my world of possibilities became limitless, and I was over the moon to be selected for this opportunity.

Apart from giving students access to career and academic opportunities, the Fulbright Program offers its students so many chances to immerse themselves in cultural exchange. With its Pre-Academic program, enrichment seminars, and workshops, Fulbright has never failed to provide its students with full access to American and local culture. During my time on the program, I was invited to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner for the first time with my dean’s family, enjoyed 4th of July fireworks over the Charles River, celebrated New Year’s Eve in Times Square, spent Christmas Eve at my American friend’s house, attended an American wedding, dressed up for Halloween, visited 17 States, and met friends from all over the world!

Being a Fulbrighter also helped me earn a Ph.D. scholarship in Istanbul, Turkey. In conjunction with my Ph.D. studies, I was extremely interested in studying the causes behind the high unemployment rate among female graduates in the West Bank, especially in the IT sector. While women make up the majority of university students in computer science and computer engineering in the West Bank, they have a hard time finding post-grad employment in tech. Inspired to change the status quo, two female colleagues and I started brainstorming ideas for a business that would decrease the unemployment rate among female Palestinian IT graduates, offer them better salaries, and contribute to the Palestinian GDP through IT. During the summer of 2021, we took an entrepreneurial accelerator fellowship program at Brandies University in Boston. After completing the program, we successfully worked on improving our venture idea, business plan, and business model. We returned to the West Bank with and came back a $135,000 investment to start our business in Ramallah.

I am currently the CEO of Empower Company and in two weeks, Empower will start its first pilot cohort where 15 female IT graduates from the West Bank will be enrolled in an intensive IT training program to become active participants and leaders in the tech sector. Empower will assign trainees to projects and provide national and international mentoring opportunities, enabling them to present their portfolios to potential employers. Ultimately, Empower matches engineers to companies both in the West Bank and internationally. Our goal is to turn female engineers into well-rounded and job-ready tech employees while matching the Palestinian and international demand with the Palestinian supply in tech. This June, I will be talking about Empower at a fundraising event in the United States for venture capitalists, donors, investors, and interested individuals. To say I’m excited is an understatement!

The Fulbright Program has given me so many opportunities that have empowered me and given me confidence, and now I am using those skills I learned to help empower other women. I want all women to know that Fulbright can be the key to your dreams.

Muna is a 2017 Fulbrighter from the West Bank. She received her MA in Global Development at the University of Bridgeport.