Fulbright Reality Czech

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...

Katherine O'Neal is a Second Lieutenant  in the U.S. Army. This year, she teaches English, P.E., and Psychology at Gymnázium Vysoké Mýto, a college-preparatory high school located in a town with 12,000 inhabitants in the Pardubice Region. She enjoys staying busy; therefore, in the afternoons, her students can join Katherine's writing workshop or conversation club. Like many recent college graduates, Katherine has had to adjust to a different pace of life, four seasons, and, perhaps most importantly, a dramatically changing amount of sunlight during the school year. Today, she shares, "In my first five months, I have learned that what I choose to focus on will significantly influence my experience here as an English Teaching Assistant." After Fulbright, Katherine plans to start her active duty service in the Medical Service Corps. As a photographer, people have always been my preferred subject. However, acquiring a pocket-sized camera (affectionately referred to as “Ba...