Emma Rosenthal

What has been the most rewarding aspect of serving as a Fulbright grantee?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of serving as a Fulbright grantee is having the opportunity to build a community in a place that I never thought I would have the chance to visit, let alone live in. Fulbright is an exceptional opportunity to make that leap and fully immerse yourself in a different way of life. This experience has revealed my own biases and assumptions towards Rwanda (and Africa more generally) that I didn't know I had. There is rich opportunity in the African continent, despite its ongoing conflicts and recovery from colonialism, and there is so much to be learned. Living in Rwanda has been a gift.

What has been surprising to you about your host community?

There are many things that have surprised me about Rwanda. First, I wasn't expecting the diversity of nature throughout the country. I live in the northwest part of the country next to gorgeous lakes and volcanic formations. Along with that, I definitely wasn't ready for the altitude difference either (I live at 7142 feet!). Another part that has fascinated me is seeing how people approach the subject of genocide in their daily lives and in regular conversation. I have found that everywhere I go in the country, even in the smallest and most remote of villages, there are memorials to the events that took place in 1994. Meeting survivors of the genocide and visiting the larger memorials across the country have shaped my perception of the origin of the ethnic divisions that led to that level of violence. Also, many of their memorials take inspiration from Holocaust memorials around the world (primarily in Jerusalem, Paris, and Washington D.C.) and it has been so interesting to see stones on many of the mass graves (which is a tradition of mourning in Judaism).

That being said, I think many people would be surprised at the rich history of Rwanda (both pre- and post-colonialism) apart from the genocide and the immense beauty of the country. It is a very comfortable place to live in--I actually feel safer walking alone on the streets here than I do in most of the U.S. There are lots of things to see in this small country (gorillas and more!). I hope that through my Fulbright, I can share the diversity of experience and life in this country when I return home. The genocide is an important part of Rwanda and nobody here ignores it by any means, but there is a lot more to be discovered.

How are you living out the Fulbright mission of creating mutual understanding?

The campus I work on (the University of Global Health Equity in Butaro) is a very international campus. Students come from all over the world (primarily African countries) and there are often visiting faculty to teach classes or work at the cancer hospital. Since I am staying for an extended period of time, I have had many opportunities to build lasting relationships with the faculty that I work with here, collaborating on research projects and planning future proposals for studies ranging from anti-microbial resistance to dementia care in rural regions of Africa. By training students in biological research and sharing best practices, we are all learning how to improve our studies for our patients together. There is much to be learned here in Rwanda.

What one piece of advice would you give to applicants?

Get started on identifying connections and filling out your application early!! I made my connections rather late in the cycle (August before the applications were due) and my essays were never looked over by Tulane staff. That being said, I would encourage you to take the chance of applying. Applying to a national program like Fulbrightcan be intimidating, but the only thing that is holding you back from being accepted is not hitting the "submit" button. So don't hold yourself back (even if you don't have everything figured out for your research project) and just apply. What's the worst that could happen?