The email arrived on a day that was already full of energy. Students were visiting CITA ahead of the 2025–2026 school year, exploring labs, meeting teachers, and imagining themselves in new pathways. I had just stepped into a new role in the Energy and Power Pathway, and everything felt fresh, exciting, and slightly overwhelming.
Then I saw it: I had been awarded the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) fellowship.
I remember feeling a surge of excitement — followed quickly by a moment of hesitation. I had just taken on a new position. I was building new curriculum, learning new systems, and preparing for a new group of students. Adding Fulbright coursework to that mix felt ambitious. But I also knew opportunities like this do not come often. I was up for the challenge.
When the online coursework began, any nervousness I felt quickly shifted to clarity. I knew I had made the right decision to apply. The focus on global learning did not feel like “one more thing” to add to my plate. Instead, it felt like a natural extension of the work I was already doing in energy education.
Energy and power are inherently global topics. Supply chains cross borders. Infrastructure decisions affect communities worldwide. Access to reliable power is deeply tied to equity and opportunity. Viewing my curriculum through a global competence lens made immediate sense. The integration was almost seamless.
What surprised me most was how much my own perspective expanded. Considering energy and power through a global equity framework pushed me to think differently about workforce readiness, sustainability, and technological advancement. It encouraged conversations in my classroom about who benefits from innovation — and who may be left behind.
My students responded thoughtfully. They began asking bigger questions. They connected local systems to global challenges. What started as professional development began reshaping how I think about instruction altogether.
Receiving that email on such a busy school day now feels symbolic. Just as my students were stepping into new possibilities, so was I. Fulbright did not add weight to my work; it added depth.
And that is only the beginning.