Q: Tell us about your Fulbright experience. Where did you go? When? What did you do?
As I reflect on my Fulbright experience more than a decade ago, I realize that it was a transformational turning point in my life. I taught English to dozens of students at the Universidad de Panamá from 2013 to 2014, and they taught me so much more than I could have ever taught them.
One of my proudest memories was starting the Dream Scholarship study abroad program for Panamanian students to study English in the U.S.
My Fulbright experience was also a familial journey. I’m Panamanian-American, and my grandma, parents, and other relatives visited me during my Fulbright. It was incredible watching my abuela take a trip down memory lane! We saw the house where she raised my mom, aunts, and uncles, bringing tears to her eyes.
Q: How has your Fulbright experience shaped your life and career? What skills, perspectives, or opportunities came from your exchange that still influence you today personally or professionally?
I can draw a direct line between my Fulbright experience and my international career. The language skills, the cultural curiosity, the public speaking, the local “citizen” diplomacy- all of those skills served me well when I became a U.S. diplomat in China and Latin America, then a Department of Defense official, and now a U.S.-China-Latin America geopolitical risk entrepreneur.
Q: What does being part of the Fulbright alumni network mean to you?
Every time I think about being a Fulbrighter, I realize that I’m the luckiest man in the world. We are 400,000 changemakers from every country, working in every field, speaking every language. There is power in being a Fulbrighter. That’s why, as Chair of the Fulbright Association this year, we’re unleashing the FA’s full potential to become 1) a HUB for Fulbright alumni and young people to find jobs in international affairs, 2) a GLOBAL TALENT MARKETPLACE that small businesses and mulinational companies can hire from, and 3) a COMMUNITY committed to local service and impact. In other words, the Fulbright community is the greatest, most cost effective program we have to make America and the world safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
Q: Is there someone you would like to recognize who made your Fulbright experience especially meaningful or relevant? This could be a mentor, colleague, host, or community member who left a lasting impression.
One of my former English students who is still a close friend is Julio Moreno. Julio would spend hours traveling from the rural area to Panama City to learn English (here is a link to his story: https://lnkd.in/etvPNQPA). All these years later, he is a principal of a high school!
Another is Adrian Sanchez, who fell in love with an American girl while studying in Murray, Kentucky. Adrian is now a green-card holder, started his own business, and has a little son! El sueño americano hecho realidad!