Fulbright Reality Czech

Anna Malečková is a senior lecturer at the Department of Histology and Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen. She spent six months at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as a Fulbright-Masaryk scholar from August 2024 to February 2025. As the Methodology Manager of the Teaching and Learning Center at her home faculty, her main focus during this international experience was exploring competency-based learning as a way to help students reach their full potential. While she gained valuable insights into innovative teaching methods and classroom strategies, her most profound takeaway was the mindset she encountered: one of openness, encouragement, and possibility.  Looking back, it still feels a bit surreal, that I spent six months in the U.S. I’ve traveled alone before, even lived in a foreign country, but this experience felt different right from the start. Despite all my careful planning, I ran into a few surprises along the way – like flying through Paris during ...

Janessa Garcia is an English Teaching Assistant at the Catholic Gymnázium in Kutná Hora. With a degree in Political Science, a passion for history, and dreams of shaping education policy, her 10-month journey has blossomed into a dynamic mix of teaching, mentoring, cultural exchange—and unexpected personal transformation. Whether she's leading spirited debate and reading clubs, offering English conversation classes to fellow teachers (including the school’s director!), or even learning piano from her colleague and students, Janessa has made the most of every moment. But perhaps her most surprising and rewarding endeavor? Lacing up her running shoes. What began as a reluctant experiment has grown into a full-blown marathon goal—and along the way, Janessa has discovered that long-distance running has more in common with teaching and personal growth than she ever imagined. Maybe, the most pitiful thing you can do in life is not challenge yourself and soar past the limits you have crea...

Jolie L'Heureux is  an astronomer. From gazing at the stars as a curious child to searching for the echoes of cosmic events, Jolie L’Heureux’s journey into astrophysics is as inspiring as the universe she studies. A graduate of Columbia University, Jolie is currently conducting post-baccalaureate research at the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University in Brno. As a Fulbright student grantee, she spends nine months hunting for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events—an effort to shed light on some of the most mysterious phenomena in the cosmos. Jolie’s love for science was first sparked during museum and library visits with her mother, and now she pays that inspiration forward through outreach: "I especially like to be involved with outreach events with younger children, to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to see the beauty of our universe and be inspired to become a scientist. For younger kids, I think it is important to share with them cool thing...