The Fulbright Program is considered the largest and most prestigious educational exchange program, providing recent college graduates, graduate students and young professionals the opportunity to continue their education or professional development through research and study in a foreign country.
Mimi Yaldram '20, B.A. History, has earned a place in the Fulbright Scholarship program and will work in Taiwan as a teacher assistant. She credits her time studying history at UMBC at the Universities at Shady Grove with preparing her to embark on this prestigious journey.
Listen to her story here:
Here is more of Mimi's story!
What made you choose History as a major? And why UMBC?
I choose history as a major because I have always been passionate about history ever since I arrived in this country from Pakistan. My two favorite subjects growing up were social studies and reading. But then in high school, I realized that I was missing something in my history classes. When I was a student at Montgomery College, I took a course on World History and my professor, a world historian at Montgomery College, taught me that history was a lacuna. A lacuna is defined as a space, a void, or something that is hidden, and in the history context, history is hidden from us sometimes. My love for history grew as I learned more, and I ended up becoming the President of the History club at Montgomery College. During this time, current professors and advisors from UMBC at USG's history program visited classrooms. I met Dr. Blair who is the current Public History program director at UMBC. Her speech about the history program and the public history program furthered my interest in UMBC at the Universities at Shady Grove. I already knew that I wanted to attend the Universities at Shady Grove campus because my older brother had attended there. I just needed to know that USG had a history program, which it did!
What have you been doing since graduating?
Since graduation, I have been working as an autism support technician and receptionist at an assisted living facility. Additionally, I've been interning at a local museum and teaching classes at night to adult Hispanic Learners as an assistant teacher.
How did UMBC prepare you for this next stage of your life?
UMBC has prepared me for the next stage in life by helping me to be open minded, to be flexible, and to be an effective writer. For example, as a history student, I took classes that were diverse in history from Byzantine History to Russian and Islamic Histories. Here, I learned to write like a historian and to think critically and how to problem solve. I looked at the world from a global perspective and wanted to know how I can make a difference as a global citizen. History taught me to write in terms of citing properly, to understand peer-reviewed materials, and to have strong organizational skills. I became flexible in terms of having leadership roles with UMBC such as being a Peer Advisory team member and as a student council representative for USG. In those roles, I worked on orienting myself to other people's personalities and delegating in terms of solving specific challenges to the needs of the students and campus.
Can you talk about your new opportunity with the Fulbright acceptance and what that process entailed and what it may offer you?
This was my second time applying for the Fulbright. The process of applying the second time was a lot easier than the first time for sure. I knew the process which made it easier to go through the process of writing the grant purpose statement and the personal statement. Plus, I was given examples of how to write better statements which really helped me to hone in on my writing skills. I also had a wonderful advisor named Dr. Brian Souders who was instrumental in helping me edit my work and giving me support and encouragement in my application. The process overall takes about 4 months, writing draft after draft and completing the application itself. I think what this program will offer me is various opportunities, especially in the teaching field. Since I applied for the ETA position and I have my TESOL certification, I will be able to find more opportunities in the education route to my career which is to teach about history.
How has studying history changed or enlightened your perspective on the world?
History has changed and enlightened my perspective on the world because I am able to think critically, problem solve, and be more empathetic. History is about studying the changes in society and how the past has shaped and continues to shape the world in which we live today. When delving into history, you examine the competing sources. You analyze and explain the problems in the past in order to see the patterns that might otherwise be invisible in the present, thus providing a perspective for understanding and solving future and current problems. Furthermore, history allows me to be empathetic because it allows me to appreciate the diverse human experience, culture, ideas, and traditions that are not my own. History allows me to see the differences and similarities of my ancestors and where I came from. As my world history professor told me, all history is connected and we are a human web.
What was your biggest takeaway from the program?
My biggest take away from the program are the professors who have taught me the knowledge I need and tools to use to be a better human being.
What will you never forget about UMBC?
The wonderful staff and professors and the history program for giving me the chance to be a writer and to be a historian.
