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 the Olympic Games, or the incredible heat and humidity that greeted me in Washington D.C. My perfectly straight hair turned curly within minutes, setting the tone for the many unexpected adventures ahead.
My new home was a quiet American suburb just outside Baltimore, a city infamous for one of the highest crime rates in the U.S. It was everything I had expected, and yet nothing like I had imagined. It was the kind of neighborhood, you’ve seen in movies: neat houses with American flags out front, perfectly trimmed lawns, oversized cars, and no sidewalks – because apparently no one walks anywhere in the U.S. My morning walks to catch the university shuttle soon became a bit of a neighborhood entertainment. Oh, and yes – I lived in a basement apartment. What could be more American?
What struck me most were the contrasts – between the U.S. and Czechia, between different regions of the country, even between neighborhoods just streets apart. From time to time I took public buses heading downtown, that passed through one of the poorest districts of Baltimore. Not having a car gave me a raw, unfiltered view of the city, which did not even make any effort to hide its scars and flaws. Later, I had a similar experience in other East coast cities, Philadelphia, Boston and in New York, which I was lucky to visit several times - luxury apartments and homelessness existing right next to each other, yet rarely intersecting.
Photo: Boston, Massachusetts, November 2024.
Photo: Manhattan, New York City, November 2024.
My new home was a quiet American suburb just outside Baltimore, a city infamous for one of the highest crime rates in the U.S. It was everything I had expected, and yet nothing like I had imagined. It was the kind of neighborhood, you’ve seen in movies: neat houses with American flags out front, perfectly trimmed lawns, oversized cars, and no sidewalks – because apparently no one walks anywhere in the U.S. My morning walks to catch the university shuttle soon became a bit of a neighborhood entertainment. Oh, and yes – I lived in a basement apartment. What could be more American?
What struck me most were the contrasts – between the U.S. and Czechia, between different regions of the country, even between neighborhoods just streets apart. From time to time I took public buses heading downtown, that passed through one of the poorest districts of Baltimore. Not having a car gave me a raw, unfiltered view of the city, which did not even make any effort to hide its scars and flaws. Later, I had a similar experience in other East coast cities, Philadelphia, Boston and in New York, which I was lucky to visit several times - luxury apartments and homelessness existing right next to each other, yet rarely intersecting.
Photo: Boston, Massachusetts, November 2024.
Photo: Manhattan, New York City, November 2024.
The America we know from movies depicts only a narrow part of a much more complex picture. I grew up watching U.S. on TV, thinking I knew it well. I didn’t. Not until I saw it with my own eyes. The East Coast with densely populated cities and European-style architecture (except for the skyscrapers, of course) felt almost familiar. I was even somewhat prepared for the northern countryside in the fall, as Maine has been my long-term dream to visit. And it didn’t disappoint – its mysterious atmosphere and beautiful landscape felt like something straight out of a Stephen King or H.P. Lovecraft novel.
Photo: Stephen King’s house and streets of Bangor, Maine, October 2024.
Photo: Acadia National Park, Jordan Pond, Maine, October 2024.
The West, though – that was like finding myself on an entirely different planet. Even traveling there was something unusual for a Czech person. Five-hour domestic flights and long road trips covering distances, that would cross entire countries in Europe didn’t surprise anyone. Missing a flight? No problem for Americans – a nightmare for me. Getting a flat tire in the middle of the desert on the Utah-Arizona border? An experience I’d rather not repeat, but one that makes for a great story. A tow truck driver with a desert-dry sense of humor, that came to our rescue, joked about my Eastern European accent and asked if we were spies. He had never traveled outside the U.S., but seemed perfectly happy living a steady life with his family. No complaints, no stress, no second-guessing. It was oddly refreshing, especially compared to our Czech habit of constant complaining.
Photo: Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky, Utah, December 2024.
Photo: Arches National Park, Devils Garden, Utah, December 2024.
Photo: Bryce Canyon National Park, Sunset Point, Utah, December 2024.
Such cultural differences were just as striking in academia. What left the deepest impression weren’t the buildings, technology or overall structure of the institution, but the people within it. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, I was met with welcoming colleagues who made it easy for me to adapt and learn. Faculty didn’t create barriers – they removed them. They focused on solving problems, not making them worse or even artificially creating them. Their shared goal was clear: help students succeed. That mindset is what stuck with me the most – and it’s something, I believe, we deeply need at home.
Photo: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, November 2024.
I was also lucky to become part of an inspiring teaching community, which was something entirely new to me, and I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The Faculty Development Center, which supports teachers in improving their teaching practices, organized events, that felt more like casual gatherings than mandatory sessions. Sure, the questionable pizza and canteen coffee were terrible, but somehow, even those added to the charm. The commitment to teaching ran deep, even beyond campus walls. We’d regularly met for “Shakespeare afternoons”, where a small group would read plays together (I’m still convinced Shakespeare must have turned in his grave hearing me read Othello). These afternoons often turned into passionate discussions about pedagogy and I’m convinced, that what made these discussions so special, was the group’s genuine love for teaching and their deep care for their students.
In Czechia, the common reaction to new ideas is “To nejde” – “That’s not possible”. In the U.S., it felt like “anything is possible.” Now, I try not to ask: “Can we do this?” but: “How can we make this happen?” – one small change at a time.