National Scholarship Office

Fulbright Spotlight: Vanessa Diaz

What made you want to apply for Fulbright in the first place?

As an undergraduate, I was involved in many student organizations and activities, where I held leadership roles. My mentor, who still works in the VCU Global Education Office, came up to me one day and suggested that I apply for a Fulbright because she thought I would be a great candidate. She also knew me because I was a VCU Student Ambassador and had studied abroad at our sister campus in Qatar in 2014. I didn’t know what Fulbright was until she mentioned it, so I looked into more. She was the reason I applied the first time!

What was your most memorable experience during your grant year?

My most memorable experience during my grant year was my dad’s visit to Jordan. I introduced him to my group of friends. I took him on an incredible and nonstop adventure for a whole week including things like exploring Petra, swimming in the Red Sea, floating in the Dead Sea, getting soaked on water hikes, and camping in the same desert they filmed “Star Wars,” “The Martian” and “Lawrence of Arabia.”

What did a typical day look like?

I would wake up and make myself breakfast, which would usually consist of a giant, warm tomato with cold cucumbers and hummus. 

After I was ready, I would walk down my street and take a taxi to a nearby neighborhood called Jabal-AlWebdeh, and get dropped off right by the elementary school. I would buy my lunch beforehand from a man who sold cheap sandwiches that often had eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus and eggplant.

Because I didn’t have my own classroom, I would go into my supervisor’s office, drop off my stuff, and make any edits to my lesson plan for the day.

On any given day, I would have at least three classes to teach. The primary instructor was usually always in the back of the classroom, helping me with rowdy students or anything else I needed. My lesson plans were usually game-like or highly interactive, so my students enjoyed having me around. Their lesson plans were always based on what they were already learning, so it was mostly a review and helped with any upcoming tests they might have with their regular teachers.

Between classes, I would have some free time, during which I would attend recess to spend more time with the kids or work on an upcoming student event that I had volunteered to help with, such as making decorations or signs. 

After my day at school, I would travel to my group Arabic class, which involved taking a small bus back home. I took four Arabic classes a week, including group classes and one-on-one sessions.

On certain days of the week, after Arabic classes, I would travel to a nearby city to volunteer with an organization called ReClaimed Childhood, which hosted an after-school sports program for refugee girls. This was not only amazing Arabic practice, but it was another mentorship opportunity.

Once the practice was over, the girls would go back on a school bus to get picked up by their parents. And I would carpool with a colleague back to my neighborhood. My days were jam-packed, but super fun! 

Post-Fulbright, what are you doing now?

After Fulbright, I served a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA Graphic Designer in Kentucky, working for a children’s nonprofit that focused on social-emotional curriculum in schools. From 2019 to 2021, I worked as a Freelancer and was then hired by the LGBT Community Center in New York City as a Marketing Coordinator, where I worked for four years.

Currently, I am focusing on Fulbright Latinx, an online community (and soon-to-be official nonprofit) that I co-founded in 2019. We have an alumni-run podcast, a mentorship program, and we highlight Latinx Fulbright alumni on our Instagram. I currently manage our team of eight Latinx alumni, who focus on grant-writing, digital communications, community events, and mentorship. Additionally, we work with the State Department, the Fulbright Association and several universities to conduct virtual webinars, presentations, and offer awareness of our resources.

What advice would you give to prospective Fulbright applicants?

Write about your quirky hobbies and interests in your application, and use that to make friends with locals.

It’s really important for folks outside the United States to understand how vastly nuanced and different everyone’s lived experience is as an American. The more we share ideas of diversity, the better understanding people can have of the U.S., and break down walls of prejudice and stereotypes.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The program operates in over 160 countries worldwide. Over 2,000 grants are given to graduating seniors, recent alumni, and graduate students to conduct research, carry out creative projects, pursue a year of postgraduate study, or teach English abroad.VCU’s National Scholarship Office (NSO) assists students and recent alumni with the application process for the Fulbright Program and other esteemed awards. To learn more about external funding opportunities, schedule an appointment with a member of the NSO staff.

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