Sunday, February 3, 2008

Dealing with fellowship rejection once again

Last year when I applied for the Fulbright Fellowship I did not think that I would make it past the first round as it was my first year of applying for the fellowship to Portugal. As luck would have it, I actually made it past the first round and was one of six semi-finalists for one of three grants to Portugal. So I decided to think positive for once in my life and I assumed that I would probably get the fellowship for this coming year, considering I came so close last year.

It turns out that I did not make it past the first round for the Fulbright this year. I know I can always apply again next year and that everything happens for a reason. Maybe I needed the time in the states to adjust to being a new mom and for my husband and I to adjust to being parents together without having the overseas obstacle to deal with in the first year of our daughter's life.

I just hope that I find enough funding in the future so that I can go overseas to get my research done so that I can write my dissertation and finish my doctorate. I really want to finish up within the next two years but if I keep getting rejected, I will never be able to finish my degree and be able to be on the job market so that I can do what I really love for a living, which is teaching at a university or college.