Difi Apriyanti is unique among foreign language teaching assistants at the University. The young Muslim from Indonesia is part of a select group of teaching assistants on the Fulbright scholarship.

The Fulbright Scholarship Program, which was created by Sen. J. William Fulbright in 1946, is an international exchange program for students.

Maria de Rocher, campus Fulbright U.S. student program adviser and coordinator in the Honors Program, said the program’s main goal is to foster cultural exchange. According to Rocher, this year a record number of 10 University students were offered Fulbright grants and assistantships.

“Each country has its own take on [Fulbright], but overall these are students who have a stellar record, great recommendations, leadership skills and are respectful of other cultures,” Rocher said.

And though Apriyanti is also a Fulbright scholar, she is considered part of the Indonesian Fulbright program since she was granted her teaching assistantship in Indonesia. Apriyanti, who teaches Indonesian 1001 and 2003 at the University, comes from the city of Padang on the island of Sumatra.

She said her Fulbright assistantship requires her to get to know the culture and customs of America. Therefore, this semester she is taking an African-American studies class on top of the classes she is already teaching.

“I arrived [in Athens] during the summer holiday and it was really difficult to get used to the city. It was very dead, but once students started arriving, I met a lot people and that helped a lot,” Apriyanti said.

Apriyanti is one of six foreign language instructors this year coming in under the Fulbright Program and the Institute of International Education.

David Porcaro, a doctoral student from Winterville, is a University student now doing research in Muscat, Oman – located in southwest Asia – through Fulbright.

“It’s been both wonderful and stressful. Even when you are prepared for the cultural shock, it always takes you a while to settle into life in a new country,” Porcaro said in an e-mail Tuesday.

Porcaro said he has had to make more adjustments than other Fulbright students since he took his family with him.

“We have met some wonderful people, and have had opportunities to share Eid dinners at friend’s houses, watch our kids play with children from all over the world and join in evening cookouts on mountaintops,” Porcaro said.

Christine Beitl, a University doctoral student from Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., said she has always been interested in building relationships within the international community through intercultural exchange. Beitl is conducting research in ecological and environmental anthropology as part of her dissertation in Ecuador through the Fulbright program.

“In my spare time, I have been giving bilingual workshops on environmental education for youth as a service to the community,” Beitl said in an e-mail Tuesday. “Occasionally I go fishing and collecting shellfish with my host family. With about 10 more months ahead of me as a Fulbright fellow, I plan to continue participating in local cultural activities and ecological restoration projects when opportunities arise.”

Jason Kim is another University student on a Fulbright grant teaching abroad. In an e-mail Tuesday, Kim said he has spent a week in Portugal’s island of Madeira teaching.

“For now, I’m trying to get adjusted to the time change and the beautiful scenery on the island. The island is absolutely gorgeous and the people are wonderful,” Kim said. “Honestly, there really is no typical day here on the island; everyday I encounter something new and exciting. The only part of my day that remains monotonous is my evening swim in the beautiful, blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.”