On June 13th, 2024 we held a graduation ceremony for our 2024-25 Fulbright US grantees who are now completing their grants in Poland. The ceremony took place in Warsaw at the University of Warsaw’s American Studies Center (ASC). In his remarks, Daniel Lawton, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. congratulated the cohort on their grants completion, recalling his time spent on Fulbright in India. He underlined that alumni are now ambassadors of Fulbright and so, he encouraged them to share this experience with universities and communities in the USA to inspire new generations of Fulbrighters and expand the connections between our countries.
Andrzej Szeptycki, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education highlighted the key importance of the Fulbright Program for building a broad partnership between Poland and the United States, and thanked the grantees for choosing Poland as the destination of their scholarship.
The last speaker – Claire Ashley, Fulbright U.S. Student grantee – offered a “Valedictorian Speech,” in which she shared her impressions from the time spent in Poland, highlighting how fulfilling this experience has been. She also mentioned how challenging moving to a new country can be, but at the same time, that it has been possible, due to the support from Fulbright and academic communities. In her speech, she addressed her cohort by saying:
“In this moment of history it can be easy to feel powerless and immobilized, but every movement in history started with people realizing that they could change its course. Every day is a new opportunity for us to grow seeds. When you are in a place of privilege, like we all are, it is possible to speak up and find even small ways to act. It is not a matter of left or right; it is a matter of conscience.”
This past year, we welcomed 31 U.S. grantees who have conducted their research projects, and/or engaged in didactic activities at numerous higher education institutions around Poland.
We are grateful to our event partner, the American Studies Center (ASC) at the University of Warsaw, for hosting this year’s graduation. As one of our partners in the Fulbright Distinguished Scholar program and the academic cradle for many Polish and American Fulbrighters, the ASC is a perfectly fitting venue to honor the journeys and friendships cultivated over the past year.
