Kumar Receives Fulbright Scholarship

Sandhya Kumar, daughter of TBE employee Pat Kumar, is an accomplished graduate of UAB who has already been accepted to UAB’s Medical School (see her graduate write up).  Her future is bright and certain in that respect, but she decided to defer medical school for a year and, instead, opted to serve as a Fulbright Program participant. 

As a Fulbright scholarship selectee, Kumar left in July for a year in Taiwan, where she is serving as an English teaching assistant for elementary and middle school age children.  One of her goals while there is to create a student literary magazine in Taiwan to help her students improve their English skills and provide them with a creative outlet.

Deciding to apply for a Fulbright scholarship and then being accepted to the program was very exciting for Kumar. Since she eventually wants to work in public health, Kumar believes that living in another country, introducing students to American culture, and teaching English to the children there will be rewarding and helpful in her career.  “I feel like it’s going to be an invaluable experience to be able to immerse myself in a different culture and be able to interact with students…” said Kumar. 

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.  The Fulbright Program provides participants, who are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.