Fulbright Reality Czech

Seiler Rivers is a 2024/2025 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant alumna. With a BS in Computer Science, a minor in Music, and a passion for both choral music and supporting young women in technology, Seiler was placed at the Gymnázium and Business Academy in Mariánské Lázně, the youngest town in the famous spa triangle of Western Bohemia. Inspired by the experiences of previous Teaching Assistants, Seiler hoped to join a local choir or orchestra (as a piano player) to integrate into her new community while continuing to do what she loves. She succeeded. Music, often called a universal language, helped her navigate challenges and connect with others in ways that went well beyond choir rehearsals and performances. Today, Seiler reflects on the question: "Why do we sing? Is it to be heard? No, surely not. It's to participate in something larger than ourselves–to both contribute and to listen." Before embarking on my journey as a Fulbright ETA, I had studied classical pian...

Katie Googe is an expert on American literature. During the 2024/2025 academic year, she spent eight months at the Department of English and American Studies at Masaryk University in Brno, where she explored the connections between Czech science fiction in the aftermath of the First World War and depictions of time and colonialism in early American speculative fiction. Coming from the University of Southern California, Katie was excited to experience Czech culture firsthand. While she enjoyed immersing herself in local traditions, she was also struck by how international her academic environment turned out to be. In her Brno classroom, students and colleagues from nearly every continent sparked conversations that enriched her understanding of literature and culture far beyond the lecture hall. Reflecting on her Fulbright experience, Katie shares: "Over the next two semesters, I learned more from my students than I could have even imagined." On my final night in Brno before I...

Lucie Čejková is a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University in Brno. She focuses on news audiences and related topics. In September 2024, she began a five-month Fulbright-Masaryk scholarship program at the Department of Film Production and Media Studies at Pennsylvania State University. Her goal was to explore how leading scholars in the media field bridge the gap between academia and the public, particularly in the areas of media literacy and conspiracy thinking. Reflecting on what the experience gave her, Lucie shares that when meeting the "big names" during her Fulbright stay: "I learned I didn't need to be so starstruck or afraid. The people I met were kind and humane, willing to mentor me at this early stage of my academic career. Without being too pathetic, I think it's fair to say I learned lessons I'll carry with me forever." Never meet your heroes, they say. Well, after my Fulbright stay, I seriously doubt that saying. ...