"For me, Fulbright came as a challenge for finding new ways of exploring development opportunities in an academic context I had always admired without having the chance to experience it. I started the application journey with little hopes for success, but Fulbright ended up being the most accomplishing program I have ever attended. Looking back, I feel like I can say the Fulbright Program was the period I felt I truly experienced an accelerated personal and professional growth."

"My greatest wish is that I adequately conveyed to my students how much they taught me — that I learned far more from them than I could have learned from an entire library about Romania. Because of the connections we developed, my students and I are now better able to evaluate the strengths and shortcomings of our own nations, and can better appreciate that we share the same aspirations for justice and human rights, no matter how imperfectly governments have managed so far to implement them. Despite the uncertain futures both our countries currently face, I am left with great hope. I can think of no greater value a Fulbright experience could achieve. România, te iubesc!"

"At Harvard, fulfillment came not only from having an incomparable platform for intellectual growth, but also from being part of a nurturing community dedicated to making me feel integrated and heard. [...] I will be forever grateful to Professor Allen, my colleagues at Harvard, and the Fulbright program for making this experience possible."

Romania took hold of my heart in 2015 and since then has consumed my mind and soul. As with any genuine commitment, my relationship with this beautiful, complex country has grown and deepened over time as I have learned of its many tragedies, as well as its many triumphs. I have surrendered myself to Romania. [...] As I continue my Romanian journey, I marvel over the resiliency and fortitude of the people. I am fortunate to have developed close relationships, familial in many ways, with many Romanians. And I am eternally grateful to have been granted a Fulbright and honored to become part of this amazing community.

"When I found out I had been selected for the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program in Florida, I knew I was about to embark on a life-changing adventure. What I didn’t expect was how deeply it would impact me—as a teacher, a learner, and a global citizen."

"There are many different ways in which Fulbright has enriched my life. I participated in classes, workshops, and presentations, applied advanced new methods in my research, and even attended the largest and most important conference on international education in the world. Yet, in retrospect, the aspect that mattered the most was that I encountered an engaged, diverse, and welcoming academic community."

"The Fulbright experience pushed me to listen more deeply, to reflect more honestly, and to lead with empathy. It reminded me that good teaching doesn’t happen in isolation—it grows through collaboration, connection, and shared purpose. I returned home with a renewed sense of purpose, confident in my ability to foster connections, encourage dialogue, and positively impact my students and community."

"Being selected as a Fulbright Student has been an incredible honor and a truly life-changing experience. During my time at the State University of New York at Albany, I had the opportunity to learn from outstanding faculty and gain knowledge and skills that I am excited to bring back to Romania’s public health system."

My Fulbright experience at UW Madison, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, in the field of animal welfare has profoundly changed my life. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and PI for their unwavering support and guidance throughout this journey. Their expertise and encouragement have enriched my learning and research experience beyond measure.

"I brought back enduring connections with colleagues and friends and a resolve to return to reconnect and continue to explore the hidden corners of Romania and maybe find my own special spot in a secluded 'sat.'"

"Looking back, I realize that the goals, hopes and dreams I had at the beginning of my Fulbright journey were far more modest than what was fully offered to me. Not just from an academic point of view, but the travels that I’ve made, the professors and colleagues I have worked with, the people I met and the entire cultural experience of having lived in the United States for two years, have been an axial part of this experience."

“My time in Romania is a stained-glass window of images–the rush of the Bucharest metro, […] afternoons building furniture with a German expat named Brunhilde, the Moldovan ballerina and Ukrainian didgeridoo player who couchsurfed with me on their way through Sibiu, the attic windows staring like eyes over the squares and alleyways of Sibiu, and frosty evenings in the Piata Mare as Christmas music mingled with the scent of vin fiert—and I’m grateful for all of it.”

"I did not get to give Columbia a proper farewell last Spring, but I will do it now as a new year begins, and as I continue to unpack lessons from my time here. I arrived at Columbia full of curiosity and academic naiveté. Now I’m leaving with a collection of lessons yet to be fully revealed and distilled."

"My memories of my Fulbright semester are a whirlwind of colors and sensations: the whimsical architecture of Bucharest streets—familiar, yet also very much changed—the smell of coffee in Old Town, the bustle of the Gara de Nord railway station and its trains, the outlines of the mountains in Brasov, the arches of greenery of Rose Park in Timisoara, and the salty bitter taste of the Black Sea on a scorching hot weekend in June."

"My time as a Fulbrighter was about so much more than the research I was honored to work on. It was about building lasting relationships, learning about Romanian culture, and sharing my experiences with friends."