Testimonials from U.S. Student
Researchers in Colombia
Margot Mattson
Host institution: INVEMAR
Fulbright U.S. Student Researcher 2023
Alexandra Reep,
Host institution: Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical – CIAT
Fulbright U.S. Student Researcher 2023
Learn about the experience of former U.S. Student Researcher in Colombia
Tomás Quintero, B.S. Biology on the pre-medical track
U.S. Student Researcher Award 2023
Host Institution: Universidad de Antioquia – Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia (Medellín, Antioquia).
Home institution: Davidson College, NC.
“Kudos to the Fulbright program for providing me, and many others with such an enriching learning opportunity in a country unlike my own. I have been able to learn about what it means to live in Colombia, and understand so many practices and customs this culture holds sacrosanct. Thank you, Fulbright Colombia!”.
Elisa Bocanegra, Ph.D Candidate Social and Environmental Practice
U.S. Student Researcher Award 2022
Host Institution: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (Bogotá, Colombia).
Home institution: Prescott, College, AZ.
“Colombia is a magical place. You’re going to have a fantastic experience, I promise you. Patience and grace! Patience with yourself, patience and grace with learning a new culture. Every part of Colombia you go to, folx have different customs, ways of communicating, and different accents when they speak. It can be overwhelming initially, but what a gift you have in this fantastic country”.
Cruz Bonlarron, MA
U.S. Student Researcher Award 2021
Host institution: Universidad EAFIT, Medellín (Colombia).
Home institution: University of Illinois at Chicago (Illinois, Chicago).
“I am very grateful to the Fulbright Commission for the opportunity to participate in the Fulbright program and think that it was truly a life-changing experience. I think that my time as a becario really provided me the experience necessary to continue to pursue a career in International Relations, a field that in the US often excludes people from working class and Puerto Rican communities”.
Natalie Romeri-Lewis, Ph.D Candidate
U.S. Student Researcher Award 2022
Host institution: Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia).
Home institution: Ohio State University-Main Campus, OH
“I have wanted to live in Colombia for 20 years. 20 years ago, the timing was not right for foreigners working on peace processes. With the number of hurdles, fieldwork seemed impossible. Yet, I applied anyway. My life is forever different. I have been blessed by the kindness, welcoming nature, openness, and honesty of the Colombian people wherever I have been. THANK YOU for such an incredible experience. I now see Colombia as my second home”.
Additional resources, initiatives, and tools made available by the Fulbright Commission in Colombia for our U.S. Student Researchers
ORIENTATION HANDBOOK
This document is designed to provide you with some practical guidelines for your Fulbright experience, give you a general overview of the country, and share specific recommendations on handling unexpected situations during your grant period.
MIGRATION PROCEDURES DOCUMENT
Outlines immigration procedures, including V Visa details, dependent requirements, application instructions, Foreigner ID Card issuance, and additional recommendations about the migration procedures required for Fulbright U.S. grantees.
Assistance During Migration Procedures
The team at the Fulbright Colombia Commission provides ongoing support during immigration procedures, including liaising with relevant institutions to follow up on specific cases, solving questions that may arise during the Visa or Foreigner ID Card application process, and monitoring.
Fulbright Mentorship Program
This program aims to support our new grantees in the process of adapting to life in Colombia, to mitigate cultural shock upon arrival in a new country. Through this initiative, the Commission assigns Colombian Fulbright alumni to voluntarily support and guide the inbound Cohort of U.S. grantees.
U.S. Grantees Network
More than 3,200 Colombian citizens have been awarded Fulbright grants to pursue graduate studies or conduct research or teaching activities in the U.S. Belonging to the Fulbright alumni network is one of the main benefits of the Fulbright award. Upon request, the Fulbright Commission team can facilitate connections, interactions, and collaborations among U.S. grantees and former Colombian grantees located in their city or placement region, or working in specific fields of interest.
Fulbright Alumni Events and Engagement
We promote a dynamic Fulbright community through various activities, including casual Happy Hours for alumni in various cities, academic lectures, sports events, and Fulbrighter Week. Our approach combines social, academic, and networking elements to provide grantees with a well-rounded and enriching experience, fostering both professional skills and lasting connections.
Pre-departure orientation sessions
In these virtual sessions addressed to upcoming Fulbright U.S. Student Researchers, Program Officers and Support Professionals share relevant information regarding the program conditions, requirements, and guidelines for a smooth and successful stay in the country. Grantees can also answer any specific questions as they prepare for their Fulbright experience.
U.S. Embassy Speakers Program
The program features lectures on topics relevant to U.S. grantees and their projects in Colombia, led by speakers from the team at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia. These sessions enhance their knowledge and provide insightful experiences for a greater impact and fruitful collaborations. Some examples of topics having been covered as part of the U.S. Embassy Speakers Program are:
- Partnering for Social Projects in Colombia
- The U.S. Foreign Service for U.S. Grantees
U.S. Embassy Security Briefing for U.S. Grantees
The U.S. Embassy in Colombia offers a one-hour Security Briefing, led by a representative from the Regional Security Office (RSO), which provides general recommendations and security guidelines for Colombia.
VTRACK
Since 2023, the Fulbright Commission in Colombia implemented a digital platform designed to facilitate the tracking of U.S. and Colombian Fulbright grantees, reception of reports, documents, and updates, as well as to maintain up-to-date contact information.
ASPE
The ASPE (Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges) Health Benefits Plan is a self-funded, limited, health care benefit plan designed to pay emergent covered medical expenses for eligible Exchange Participants. Click here to learn more about this benefit for Fulbright grantees.
SOMOS UNX
One of our current key institutional priorities is promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our academic and cultural exchange programs portfolio. Some examples of DEI initiatives promoted by the Commission for U.S. grantees include the Somos Unx DEI workshops. This guide provides some recommendations on how to achieve assertive communication that takes a differential and intersectional approach. Language is important because it recognizes the cultural identity, ethnicity, sexual diversity, gender, and disability of people in our country and helps us change our reality
