Student Resources
Identity-Based Resources
There can be specific challenges for students with minoritized identities in the national scholarships process. Whether it is considering which country to travel to overseas, deciding how to write about your experiences in an essay, or figuring out how to handle biased questioning in an interview, we hope these resources will be helpful alongside your mentorship with an Office of National Scholars Advisor. We are always here to help and answer any questions.
Fulbright Diversity Collective
The Fulbright Diversity Collective is a group of organizations formed by Fulbright
Program Participants and Alumni to support each other through knowledge and experience
sharing. Whether you participate in the Fulbright Program or not, these organizations
share valuable insight about traveling and living abroad for different identity groups.
Some have websites, social media, and/or email addresses.
Fulbright Prism (LGBTQ+)
Fulbright Access (Persons with Disabilities)
Fulbright Families (Persons with Caretaking Responsibilities)
Fulbright Latinx (Latinx)
Fulbright Lotus (Asian)
Fulbright Noir (Black)
Fulbright Salam (Muslim)
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identities iN essays
Deciding if or how you should bring up your identities and personal experiences in application essays can be challenging. In recent years, as colleges and universities hoped to gain more diverse student populations, they turned to essay questions focused on "overcoming adversity." This led to many students feeling forced to share increasingly painful and traumatic experiences through admissions essays to get the attention of recruiters. This trend naturally bled into the world of scholarship and fellowship applications as well. So, how do you discuss experiences that have motivated you to pursue your goals while not feeling like you are being forced to exploit your own pain for a scholarship? We discuss this often with our students during the advising process, but we hope the article below will help as well!
When I Applied to College, I Didn't Want to 'Sell My Pain' - Elijah Megginson, New York Times
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Imposter syndrome
One of the most common challenges for students in national scholarship application
processes can be lack of confidence or a feeling of imposter syndrome. Many don't
think they are strong enough to apply for nationally competitive awards. Students
may feel that this pattern of thought is their fault or that something is wrong with
them. However, oftentimes, it is the student's environment that is the driving force
behind these feelings of doubt - microagressions, lack of affirmation and mentorship,
racism, and other societal conditions can play a role in how we feel about our skills
and accomplishments.
As advisors, we strive to provide support, connection, and information for our students
to help them take ownership of their work, but please check out the article below
to read more.
Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome - Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey, Harvard Business Review
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CAMPUS RESOURCES
The USF Office of Multicultural Affairs has a great list of resources for academic success, health and wellness, student engagement opportunities, and more.
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Blogs
National Gilman Scholarship Alumni Blog (Study Abroad)
USF Gilman Scholarship Alumni Blogs (Study Abroad)
Traveling with Natural Hair (Study Abroad)
The Leadership Alliance (Research, Graduate School)