2013 - Our Faculty and Students in the News

American Studies Grad and Fulbright recipient Elix Colon shares her journey from Rutgers to the World

My degree and academic career have never been more useful. I am using all the skills that I have acquired throughout the years in the classroom to both teach and inspire my students.

Click here to visit Elix's blog to see weekly videos of her experiences in Spain!

I was encouraged by my professors in the American Studies department to pursue a Fulbright back in the summer of 2012. They thought I would be a strong candidate, and after looking at some statistics and meeting with Arthur Casciato, Director of External Fellowships, we agreed that I would have a pretty good chance of getting Spain 

Arthur was great and gave me lots of information and guidance during our meeting, but at the end of our chat, he looked at me and jokingly said that he did not think I was going to follow-through and apply.

He was right! I completely ignored the deadline, and decided that I was not ready to undertake everything that came along with potentially being away from home and country for an extended period of time.

The following summer, I received another email from Arthur about the Fulbright grant. Once again, I went to Old Queens Campus to meet with him and discuss Spain. We both agreed that Spain would be the right fit for me. I already spoke the language, and had a fascination with Spanish guitar.

This time, I took the process seriously. I emailed my former professors (including Nicole Fleetwood) for letters of recommendation, and filled out all the appropriate paperwork. I had everything submitted on time and played the waiting game to see if I would make it.

Months later, I got an email stating that I had made it to the next round and that I would have an answer later on in the year. I had almost forgotten about the whole thing till I got the congratulatory email saying I had been awarded the grant. I believe I did the happy dance for a solid hour and a half.

The next few months were almost exclusively centered around my getting all the right paperwork and documentation needed to make this trip. About two panic attacks, one flight re-schedule, and about two dozen weepy goodbyes later, I landed in Spain. I had never been away from home for over a week, and here I was alone in a foreign country for the next nine months. 

The adjustment period was horrible! I did not like the food. I did not know anyone. I had no place to stay after my stint at the hotel ran out. Finally, my mother (who had flown out to help me settle in and stay with me for the first week) wanted me to fly back home with her. I don't think that I have ever felt that alone and isolated before in my life. 

But I managed to get through all the adversity. I stayed with a fellow Fulbright grant recepient for a week until I found a place to live.  I discovered some wonderful eateries, and connected with other Fulbrighters. 

The key to really helping me settle in was how much I genuinely loved being in the school with my students. They are all just so bright and clever, and the faculty has been incredibly welcoming. I want to go to grad school, get my Ph.D in American Studies, and become a college professor.

Being in the classroom has really help solidify that decision for me. I love being in the classroom and amongst the students. My degree and academic career have never been more useful. I am using all the skills that I have acquired throughout the years in the classroom to both teach and inspire my students.

Rutgers provided me with a great environment with a nice balance between learning and experience which I, in turn, am trying to give back to the 200 plus students I come in contact with on the daily. 

Nicole Fleetwood, Angus Gillespie and Allan Isaac in the American Studies department really gave me the confidence to pursue the grant. Nicole, especially, has been my mentor and confidant throughout. This experience has genuinely been life-changing.

I am in a foreign country some 3000 miles away from home living my life for the first time. I have had an innumerable amount of wonderful experiences out here. I love being in the classroom. I love Spain. Finally, I love being afforded the opportunity to grow into myself and discover what I am about while still having some kind of positive influence on the world.