Fulbright Graduate Student Program Scholar Anna Studilko from Ukraine Shares Her Journey of Studying Global Environmental Policy at American University, USA

My name is Anna Studilko, and I am from Vinnytsia, Ukraine. In 2014, I graduated from the pedagogical university in my hometown, where I gained my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the English language and literature. I found out about the Fulbright scholarship opportunity from my professors and was extremely interested, but at the time didn’t believe it was possible for me to win it and go study in the United States of America.

After graduation, I worked as a teacher for three years, then I wanted to switch to translation, and found a job in one of the bodies of the local municipality.

My organization was called “Institute for Urban Development”, where I discovered the whole world of municipal governance, urban development, civil society development, and international cooperation. I decided I wanted to know and do more than just translation, and I’ve held different positions at this municipal enterprise since then. I worked as a project manager and was promoted to Head of the Civil Society Development Division.

Just before the pandemic hit in 2020, the Mayor of Vinnytsia sent me to Brussels, to the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union, to learn more about project management for city development, fundraising, and how to attract international technical assistance. There, I found out about the European Green Deal, the European Union’s strategy to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Since then, I have been obsessed with the idea of Vinnytsia having a local comprehensive environmental strategy.

I started advocating for that in the municipality, and after the Mayor and the team were on board, we started developing the policy with the help of external experts and international donors. In January 2022, the Vinnytsia Green Deal was adopted – the first local adaptation of the European Green Deal in Ukraine. Then, in February, Russia attacked Ukraine, and everything changed.

While in shock and with everything on hold, I remembered about my wish to deepen my knowledge in the environmental sector and started filling my Fulbright application and distract myself from the russian war atrocities. I found a perfect program for me at American University School of International Service called Global Environmental Policy – it is designed on the nexus of environmental issues, economics, and policy. It sounded perfect for me, as I knew the angle I am going to tackle local environmental issues in Ukraine is going to be multifaceted and needs a broader approach, strategic thinking, and now minding the challenges of a full-scale invasion.

Fulbright Scholarship Details

The Fulbright Graduate Student Program offers the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree at a U.S. university for two academic years. It is a “full ride”, where all your expenses are covered. The exact scholarship amount you get for living in the US depends on the geographical location you end up in.

The program is in charge of the whole application process, meaning that after you win the scholarship, they will apply on your behalf to four U.S. universities, and there is no guarantee these are going to be the same universities you mentioned in your “wish list”. In most cases, the scholarship recipient does not know which four universities they are being applied to and only finds out about the one the Fulbright program chose for them. Then you either accept or decline the offer.

I was lucky to get the university that was on my list, as it was truly aligned with my goals - American University School of International Service, Global Environmental Policy program.

Educational Background

I got both my previous degrees at Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University (Bachelor’s Degree and Specialist Degree, which is the same level as Master’s in Ukraine). There is a different system in Ukraine, so there is no GPA equivalent. This education, among many other things, prepared me to write effective essays, which is essential for prospective students.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to American University?

I did my research to list the universities and programs that best align with my educational goals, but the application process to the universities was performed by Fulbright. I listed the universities best suited for me in my list in the Fulbright application.

The Fulbright program requires prospective students to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and GRE General (The Graduate Record Examination) tests.

For both of them, the official websites provide the best preparatory materials. I would advise to start preparing as soon as you decide to apply for the Fulbright, as there is not much time after the selection results and the tests themselves. As I was already familiar with TOEFL, I focused more effort on the GRE preparation and found it more challenging. But not all universities require the GRE, so even if you did not score your best result, it is not the end of the world.

For both, I tried to solve the test examples every day. My biggest challenge was to find where to take them, as it was in Ukraine during the war. The test centers didn’t work, and for home tests you need a safe place with perfect WI-FI connection and electricity for at least four hours each, and at the time it was hard because of the constant russian bombings. Now, as I have returned, the situation is still the same, and I’m typing this in the time slot before the electricity shutdown in my building, as the whole country saves electricity after the regular russian attacks on our energy infrastructure.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the Fulbright Scholarship?

The most important thing for applying is to formulate the idea of why you need this education and what you are going to do with it. As long as the goal is clear, you should start writing the essay on your education plan and how you are going to use the acquired knowledge and skills in your home country. The goal cannot be just “to study abroad” or “to go to the USA” – this shows your intentions for studying are not serious.

How is (was) Your Experience at American University? 

My experience at American University was extraordinary. I feel blessed having experienced the classes there, being able to learn from practitioners in the capital of the USA, and being exposed to the community of various backgrounds and nationalities. Also, living for two years in Washington, DC, has been an amazing adventure, and I truly enjoyed the cultural and political life there. I had a chance to visit historic American places, as well as talk to Congressmen and Representatives in the Capitol, and advocate for the Ukrainian cause.

I held a very active life at the University, serving as a student Senator of the Environment, Development, and Health Department during my first year, as well as a Director of International Experience in the Cabinet of the Graduate Student Council at the School of International Service in my second year. I also served as the president of the Students Supporting Ukraine club. My advice is to actively participate in student life – it provides you with great opportunities, experience, and amazing people. I treasure the friends and connections I made there! Moreover, the school awarded me for outstanding service off campus, and the award included a financial prize. I was also a finalist for the commencement speech, but didn’t make the cut and was a school flag bearer instead during commencement.

I would also add that the Fulbright program provides you with a wide community of scholars, numerous events within this community, like enrichment seminars across the country. Furthermore, you can participate in the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program with other Fulbrighters, which allows you to have a summer internship at a U.S. organization.

How Do You Rate American University Academically and Why? 

As an alumna, I can rate only the School of International Service (SIS), as American University has many schools with completely different directions and experiences. According to the “Foreign Service” magazine, SIS is listed among the top-10 ranked international relations programs in the world. I can confirm that the school is academically very strong and challenging and has diplomats and officials among faculty who share real-life experiences, provide actionable advice, and teach how to tackle real-life issues. I had a blast being a student there, and this is the life altering experience for me.

How Does American University Support International Students?

SIS does a great job in supporting international students. It has the International Student and Scholar Services Office (ISSS), which provides internationals with advice and instructions when needed and organizes fun activities and mixers for the students to get to know each other. Moreover, the graduate student advisors of each program also do a great job in supporting international students, as they have an individual approach. My advisor even initiated the meeting for Fulbright students in particular, so we had a chance to meet each other, which otherwise is hard to do as everyone has a different program and schedule.

I also treasured the freedom SIS provided for the student governance, so I tried to support my fellow internationals as a member of the Graduate Student Council, and organized events specifically for international students and Fulbrighters.

At the beginning of this year, after the change in the U.S. administration, the program faced uncertainty in further funding and visas, and all of us internationals were unsure whether we would be able to finish our degrees and graduate. One of my warmest memories of SIS support was when this happened, the school’s administration offered their immediate help and was ready to allocate emergency funds for me to be able to stay until graduation.  Gladly, everything worked out, and the program was able to complete the promised funding, and I didn’t use the school’s help, but I was very moved by their care and thought.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

To my mind, it mattered that I had a clear path lined up – starting from what I wanted to learn, where, and why – to what I was going to do afterwards in my home country. Also, I clearly described how my life path led to this point, and it all made sense.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I would definitely start getting ready for my GRE exam earlier.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

My advice would be to think hard about whether you really need this education and this particular field. If you do, be bold, seize all opportunities, and be prepared for hard work and adventures. If you don’t think more, until the whole journey is clear as day in your head, only then is it possible to succeed and truly benefit from the program