Without URFM and the Spark Program, I wouldn’t have understood the full range of opportunities available to me as a Penn State student. I feel that I’ve truly made the most of my time here, and I can’t wait to see where my education will take me.

The application process taught me more about myself than I realized. It allowed me to see the narrative that I am crafting with my studies and activities, as well as forcing me to realize how my involvements support my passions and future goals.

Applying for the Astronaut Scholarship forced me to take new perspectives on my research and where it fits in a national and global context. Besides boosting confidence in my work, the scholarship convinced me to pursue more fellowships and opened my career options.

The fellowship application process was excellent preparation for graduate school applications, and being a Goldwater and Astronaut Scholar was undoubtedly a huge factor in my successful graduate school admissions so far - I’ve been accepted to several of the top Physics PhD programs in the country. The Fellowships Office has been an integral part of my success in applying for these fellowships. I was always encouraged and made aware of opportunities, and I’ve received feedback on my essays and interview preparation help.

Research can feel unrewarding for it is an incredibly slow and difficult process. Receiving honors like the Astronaut Scholarship provides justification for my research efforts; others see that I am willing to endure the process in order to discover and create. But this feeling of justification soon turns into inspiration. Because others believe in me, I now have a duty to maintain a caliber of research that is worth believing in.

It was a tremendous experience, both personally and educationally, and one that has led me down a path that I never could have planned for. Through cultural immersion and intensive language study, I was introduced in the best imaginable way to the fascinating history and people of the Swahili Coast. My dissertation research is now focused on Swahili art forms, their relationship to Islam in East Africa, and the trade networks of the Indian Ocean rim. I am so appreciative of the University’s investment in me as a student, and the belief in my potential as a scholar.