Barbora Kaplánková is a film specialist who focuses on animated films and fantasy. She is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Theater and Film at Palacky University. During the 2023/2024 academic year, she spent five months at Idaho State University as a Fulbright grantee, researching gender within the fantasy franchise from 2000 to 2020. The university is located in Pocatello, the sixth-largest city in Idaho, at an elevation of 1,360 meters above sea level. Barbora's journey to the U.S. illustrated what to expect during her Fulbright grant—overcoming challenges and adapting to different ways of doing things than at home was inevitable. Recognizing the transformative power of her experience across the Atlantic, Barbora encourages others who struggle to envision themselves far from their comfort zones to apply for Fulbright: "I went to do research on fantasy in a small town, and now I’m someone who has seen a bison. If you’re hesitating, I wholeheartedly recommend ...
Blair Hassett is one of the 25 English Teaching Assistants who help with English language at various Czech high schools across the Czech Republic. With an MA in Environmental Science, an interest in vineyards, and a passion for exploring rural South Moravia, Blair was placed at the Engineering and Art School in Hodonín, a 25,000 town bordering Slovakia. Blair's motivation to spend ten months in the Czech Republic was inspired by photographer and Fulbright alumnus Matthew Monteith and his book Czech Eden. Captivated by Monteith's photographs of rolling hills and his affecting style, Blair has used her time in the Czech Republic to navigate her newfound relationship with the Czech landscape in reconciliation with her personal identity. Blair believes that "[p]hotography is a distillation of the past or the future, whichever you prefer." This year, she has decided to focus on presence. Moravia is elusive. Passing through this region in late August after my arrival in Vi...