Ester Lišková is the wife of Fulbrighter Petr Liška. She is also a pediatrician and the mother of their one-year-old daughter Lada. In August 2025, Ester and their four-month-old daughter accompanied Petr to Stanford University in California, where he began his Fulbright grant as a physical engineer. What initially seemed like an overwhelming adventure filled with unknowns gradually turned into a deeply rewarding and life-changing experience. Along the way, Ester discovered not only a welcoming local community but also that traveling abroad with a baby came with one unexpected advantage: their daughter quickly became the perfect icebreaker for spontaneous conversations and new friendships. For anyone wondering whether to accompany their Fulbrighter across the Atlantic, Ester’s answer is simple: say yes. When my husband first mentioned applying for Fulbright, I decided not to think about it too much. I was already pregnant, and the idea of relocating to California with an infant re...
Ryan Williamson is a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. With a BBA in Business Honors, a minor in International Trade and Agriculture, and plans to promote agricultural diplomacy, Ryan applied for the Fulbright ETA Program with impressive mentoring and facilitation experience, but no prior experience living abroad. Given his background, the Agricultural School in Benešov was a natural fit. During his Fulbright year, Ryan not only immersed himself in Czech school life and culture but also represented the Czech Fulbright Commission at the EU–US Young Leaders Seminar in Brussels. There, he engaged with inspiring speakers, exchanged ideas with peers about the challenges facing today's workforce, and explored the opportunities and implications of artificial intelligence. As he reflects on ten months of living in Europe, Ryan says he is more convinced than ever that we all share a responsibility to make the world a better place. For him, that commitment will likely take the form of pu...