Five Steps Towards Fulbright Success with Chelsea McGraw, MAP '17
The 2023-2024 Fulbright Award Cycle starts on March 31, 2022. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants to U.S. students in any academic discipline to pursue graduate studies, conduct research, or teach English abroad. Throughout their grant periods, Fulbright scholars live, learn, and collaborate with the citizens of their host country which promotes “an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding,” per the Fulbright website. Fulbright scholars have gone on to hold political office, earn Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, and so much more.
We caught up with Fulbright alum, Chelsea McGraw, MAP ‘17, to learn more about what pursuing a Fulbright grant can make possible and how students can follow in Chelsea’s footsteps to make a Fulbright work for their unique ambitions—
Step 1—Explore What Foreign Service Looks Like for You
When Chelsea McGraw started her undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh, she describes her disposition as such, “My natural inclination was to say yes to every opportunity that came up.” That led her to studying Arabic at Moulay Ismail Universitie in Morocco via the Gilman Scholarship. During her time in Morocco, Chelsea discovered a number of passions, including, “designing curricula, learning through cross-cultural exchange, and educating women and children in areas where there is a lack of access.”
After Morocco, Chelsea started her Master of Psychology (MAP) at Chatham University. Soon, she started to recognize her need for greater culture competency in her work as a psychologist: “That desire led me [to the Fulbright program] where I could be fully immersed in a country that interested me while doing research and teaching there.”
“At Chatham, there is so much opportunity when you’re connected and tapped into the community. I would encourage current students to reach out to support systems available, whether that’s Student Affairs, International Affairs, or a club or organization. If you tap into it and engage, that helps you develop ideas. It helps you understand what you’re interested in. That really helped me narrow down my interests and [find my path].”
Chelsea McGraw, MAP ‘17
Step 2—Throw Your Hat in the Ring & Put Your Best Foot Forward
The Fulbright application process is long and intricate. Chelsea recommends that interested students start prepping their applications at least one year in advance. Giving yourself time to prepare, make adjustments, and submit your best possible application will serve you in the long run. Each university has a Fulbright Advisor—Chatham’s is Study Abroad Coordinator, Karin Chipman—who can help you through each step of the process. Chelsea stresses the importance of your written application materials: “I recommend writing a year in advance and really considering why that country, why now, and why it’s important for you to be in that particular place.”
In addition to their written submissions, applicants will also participate in both on-campus and off-campus interviews. Their on-campus interview will feature a panel of experts designated by the campus Fulbright advisor who will interview students on their region of interest and ask them to demonstrate why they should complete their Fulbright there. Each panel will submit ratings that will then be a part of an applicant’s Fulbright application materials. For a more in-depth and detailed look at the application process, visit the Fulbright program website.
Step 3—Immerse Yourself in Your Host Country’s Culture
Chelsea completed her Fulbright program at SMK Padang Tengku in rural Malaysia. Before arriving, she believed her service would consist of, “teaching English, helping with their psychology services, and collecting some data that I needed.” But upon her arrival, the principal of her host school handed Chelsea a stack of science books written in English: “He said, ‘We need a science teacher, you’ll teach science.’” Chelsea did indeed teach science; she also helped their science department develop and implement a science curriculum for middle and high schoolers that they still use today.
She was also the first American woman to serve in that community and they welcomed her with open arms: “They received me so graciously. The community’s unconditional love really impacted me.”
Step 4—Let the Fulbright Impact Your Path Forward
Chelsea’s experience in Malaysia had a profound effect on her as a person and as a professional: “It impacts everything that I do. It made me realize my passion for teaching and how I can leverage my privilege to empower others.” Following the completion of her Chatham degree and the Fulbright program, Chelsea joined Teach for America with the intention of comparing the U.S. and Malaysian education systems and proceeded to work as a high school teacher in North Carolina for a few years.
Today, she is completing her Master of Healthcare Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University and hopes to eventually earn her PhD in School and Clinical Psychology. “All of which,” she says, “started with my experience in Malaysia. Teenagers would come up to me and talk about body image. I started building resilience-based after school programs when I realized how much of a need it is over there and over here.”
Step 5—Find New Ways to Give Back & Inspire the Next Generation
Before completing her Fulbright, Chelsea hoped to dig into foreign policy, but after, her trajectory changed quite significantly: “That community centered their daily interactions around relationships and connections. Being immersed in that made me realize what I care about in my professional career. No matter where I am, I want to be helping people realize their passions and grow.” She encourages those who follow in her Fulbright footsteps to do the same: “[Don’t focus only on what you can gain from it,] focus on how you can serve.”
Special thanks to Chelsea for sharing her experience with us. Curious about applying for a Fulbright? Contact internationalaffairs@chatham.edu to learn more.