Because of the connection with my Cape Verdean heritage! I knew there would be a large community there, and I wanted to learn more about the history between Cabo Verde and Portugal. I also have some family there, which made the process of acclimating a lot easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Portugal is also absolutely beautiful! There is plenty to do here with a very diverse population and diverse landscapes. For me, diversity is important wherever I go, and being surrounded by different people from diverse backgrounds was essential. I knew that I would absolutely love it here, and I do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What advice would you give students thinking about applying to Fulbright?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do it, apply! Take the chance and put yourself in a totally new environment. Believe in yourself. You can absolutely obtain a Fulbright, and you absolutely will excel while you are there. Please start early and give yourself enough time to prepare; the process can be long. Most importantly, pick a location that you are very passionate about and where you can see yourself learning the most. Don\u2019t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Describe your experience in 3 words. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (I can\u2019t do 3, but how about 4? Haha!) Find comfort in discomfort.<\/strong> I have done so many different things here that were out of my comfort zone. But this has taught me so much about who I am as a person. I am very capable of finding the silver lining in anything I do. Pushing myself to try new things, despite not knowing how it will turn out, has taught me the value of just putting yourself out there.<\/p>\n\n\n What was your biggest cultural surprise in Portugal so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n People here like to slow down and take their time, whether that is professionally or personally. Coming from the US, I was really used to the fast-paced and demanding schedules. It took a bit of adjustment at first, but now I am so grateful for the pace here because it pushed me to explore who I am, what I love, and what I value. I have discovered so much about myself because of this slow way of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have a favorite Portuguese word or phrase?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeijinhos!\u201d This translates to \u201cKisses\u201d, which I think is so cute. People typically say goodbye this way; it is very endearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What does a typical day look like for you as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Portugal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I usually start my day with coffee, of course. After this, I teach about 1-2 classes during the early afternoon. After I am done teaching, I usually either go to the Lisbon Project and volunteer with migrants and refugees, or I will do one of my many hobbies (painting, dancing, yoga, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n What project are you most excited about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m currently working on a project that evaluates the mental health and well-being of the population at my host institution, ISG | Business & Economics school!<\/p>\n\n\n\n How has Fulbright challenged you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Being away from my loved ones is something that has been difficult for me. I grew up in a really big family that has always prioritized time together. Coming here and being completely alone is where I had to learn how to truly build my own village. Luckily, I had a few cousins here, so that made it a bit easier. But the people who have always been there for me still supported me from thousands of miles away and even came to visit me! I have learned the value of community and really cherish the one that I have in the United States. But I have also built a beautiful community of my own here in Lisbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing everyone should do if they visit Portugal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Travel to Lagos! This is such a hidden gem that is absolutely stunning. I got to kayak in the ocean and see the beautiful landscapes in the South of Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n What\u2019s the best meal you\u2019ve had so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although I love Portuguese food, I\u2019m near a huge Cape Verdean community, and eating Catchupa has made me feel at home anytime that I am getting homesick! It has become my comfort meal. I also think Lisbon has some of the best sushi that I have ever tried, which makes so much sense considering it is right on the ocean!<\/p>\n\n\n\n How did you prepare for the application\/interview process?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I worked very closely with [former director of the Office of Fellowships] Kathleen Maher. She was pivotal in my process of applying for a Fulbright. We started very early, and she worked with me on every draft. URI also provided a mock interview that helped me prepare. In terms of language preparation, my family helped me prepare for the language evaluation test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s next for you after Fulbright?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am currently in the process of applying to medical school! I am excited for this next chapter of my life and know that the skills I have built during this year will make me a great physician. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Current URI undergraduates, graduate students, as well as recent alumni from all academic backgrounds interested in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program<\/a> are encouraged to visit the Office of Fellowships@URI website<\/a> for more information about applying. The URI campus deadline<\/a> is usually in August\/September with the national deadline in early October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" URI alumna Joceline Rodrigues \u201825 recently returned from her year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Portugal at the Instituto Superior de Gest\u00e3o Business & Economics School in Lisbon. The Office of Fellowships@URI interviewed her about her Fulbright Portugal experience which has been edited for length and clarity. Why did you choose Portugal for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5361,"featured_media":7500,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1002],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5361"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7496"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7507,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7496\/revisions\/7507"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/fellowships\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1743\/IMG_7503-768x1024.jpg\")
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