Maine Fulbright Stories offers memories and insights about international exchange experiences from Fulbright Award grantees who either came from Maine, or came to Maine, to complete their Fulbright Awards.
Tien Dang
Tien Dang
Fulbright: Netherlands, 2016-2017
Why did you originally decide to apply for a Fulbright?
After graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 2016, I wanted to continue to pursue my research passion and simultaneously, to experience the world beyond the classroom’s walls. Through this experience, I grew tremendously as a scientist and a person.
How did the Fulbright experience help your professional development and career?
At Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, I worked with Dr. Anton Roks and his Ph.D. students to investigate the potential of autophagy as a mechanism for blocking cancer growth. Through this experience, I had the opportunity to work with many world-renowned scientists and learned many lab techniques such as primary cell culture and data analysis.
Tien Dang
What were your favorite experiences in the Netherlands?
Besides working in the lab, I also volunteered to teach English to Dutch immigrants at a community center and traveled all over Europe during my free time. Through these experiences, I made many new friends, experienced different cultures and languages, and tasted delicious new food. As I traveled and lived on my own for the first time in a foreign country, I also became a more independent and confident person.
What would you like to tell Mainers about the Fulbright Program?
I would not be who I am today without my Fulbright experience. Thus, I strongly encourage any Mainers to apply to the Fulbright program either as a researcher or an English teacher. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about the Fulbright program.