Fort Worth Business Press - Texas Wesleyan School of Law - Texas ...

For most people, moving to another country for an extended
period of time is a financial and social impossibility.
However, for academics, artists, professionals, students
and recent ex-students there may be an opportunity to
spend up to a year in a foreign country with the support and
assistance of that country and the United States government.
That possibility comes in the form of a Fulbright grant.
Texas Wesleyan School of Law has many faculty members
who have spent time abroad in one of the Fulbright programs.
They were all very helpful in navigating the rigorous application
process, but more importantly, were all insistent that I should
do everything I could to take advantage of this incredible
program. I decided early in my application process that of
the 155 countries that have Fulbright programs, I would most
want to spend my Fulbright year in China. I was not notified
Villagers celebrate during the Chinese New Year, the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese
calendar. The Chinese year 4710, the Year of the Dragon, began on Jan. 23, 2012.
The idea of spending a year abroad has always been appealing to me. I wanted the
chance to truly immerse myself in another culture and to live as much as possible like
the people who call that place home. I had previously spent six months in Guatemala,
trying to learn some Spanish and volunteering in efforts to stem the spread of HIV.
At the time, I was a soon-to-be failed nightclub owner, and had the time and nearly
enough funds to make this possible. It was a life-changing experience and left me
wanting to be an expatriate again.
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that I received a Fulbright until late in April 2011, meaning I
had a few short months before leaving in August. Our dean,
Frederic White, had previously endorsed my application, and
after my acceptance, the law school and university were very
accommodating in making all this happen on such short notice.
I attended a training session in Washington, D.C., with other
Fulbright lecturers, researchers and students all preparing their
visit to China. Most were preparing to spend one year, others
just one semester. We were given practical information on
securing visas, negotiating the health care system, the terms
of our contracts, and a quick cultural primer. I was nervous
but excited about my upcoming trip. We were reminded that
China is roughly the size of the United States, with universities
all across the country. Although researchers often negotiate
with the university of their choice for their placement, lecturers