Richa Desai graduated from Pitt and the David C. Frederick Honors College in 2024 with her BA in anthropology and BS computational biology and minor in global health. She won the Fulbright 2024 award to pursue a research-based master’s in history of public health at the University of Leeds.
While I found applying for national scholarships at first to be really intimidating, it was a great experience learning how to articulate my goals in a compelling way. One part that I found especially useful was working on how to respond specifically to a call for applications and making my application align with a specific organization’s values. I benefited a lot from starting early! I attended weekly Fulbright writing sessions held by the Office of National Scholarships over the summer led by Lesha Greene, and I used this workshop as a way to make myself write drafts early in the process and incorporate feedback; I liked it most as something that gave me intermediate due dates for working on drafts. I enjoyed reaching out to advisors like Lesha and Peter Levins for help as well as my personal mentors at the University of Pittsburgh. I recently had the opportunity to volunteer as a UK Fulbright Summer Institute application reader, and being an application reader provided me with a new perspective on scholarship applications. I thought the most compelling applications had a “Why Fulbright?” that was crucial to their broader academic and professional plans.
Since I am pursuing a research master’s in the UK, I have learned how to carve out working time and keep a boundary between work and nonwork hours. I have also enjoyed a lot of what the UK, especially northern England, has to offer. I got a National Trust membership, visited many historic sites and museums, have been hiking countless times in nearby national parks like the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District, and got familiar with the local transit system. I also joined many student organizations at my university. My time in England has been especially useful in learning how to navigate cultural and academic differences between the UK and US. By learning how to do research in a new academic environment, I’ve learned to challenge my long-held assumptions, articulate my ideas more clearly, evaluate and integrate different academic literatures, and advocate for my position. I am so glad I got the opportunity to study for one year in the UK!