[upbeat background music]
1
00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:06,340
So on NSLI-Y I studied for the academic year 2011-12 in Kazan, Russia.
2
00:00:06,340 --> 00:00:11,440
Russia is not necessarily the place that people think of when they think of LGBT rights.
3
00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:16,840
So as a lesbian studying in Russia, I mostly kept my identity to myself.
4
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,320
But in the right circumstances students can act as
5
00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,160
public diplomacy efforts and can have one-on-one conversations with
6
00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,720
people on the street and people in their communities and really change the minds and hearts.
7
00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,820
I received the International Gilman Scholarship
8
00:00:30,820 --> 00:00:34,480
to study in Istanbul, Turkey in the fall of 2012.
9
00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:38,420
We really want to encourage people from all walks of life in America
10
00:00:38,420 --> 00:00:42,840
to study abroad so that they can show foreigners what Americans can be
11
00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,840
and how diverse our country really is.
12
00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,000
The Fulbright propelled me to seek out opportunities
13
00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,000
so when I came back to the United States
14
00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,000
I did a fellowship with NASTAD and NCSD
15
00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:58,220
these two organizations that basically serve as associations for health departments around the United States
16
00:00:58,220 --> 00:01:03,180
and so I got an opportunity to once again step up and create a document
17
00:01:03,180 --> 00:01:07,900
that they would use to like educate healthcare professionals about LGBT people of color.
18
00:01:07,900 --> 00:01:08,800
So that was awesome.
19
00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,300
And one of my on-going projects is to
20
00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:14,040
try to compile a comprehensive guide
21
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:19,060
for countries where students would be studying abroad or interning abroad or taking gap-years
22
00:01:19,060 --> 00:01:21,640
who are LGBT students or students of color.
23
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,060
And talk to them about their experiences in those countries
24
00:01:24,060 --> 00:01:28,660
and any advice that they have. Just because, you know, we want to push students
25
00:01:28,660 --> 00:01:32,520
out of their comfort zones and we don't want the LGBT identity to pull people back
26
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:34,560
we want it to enrich their experience.
27
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,000
I don't feel like there are a lot of specific resources for students who are LGBTI individuals
28
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,440
and want to study abroad.
29
00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,700
But when we do and you take that chance to go to a different country
30
00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:47,280
you'll learn that there are a lot of similarities and that
31
00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,200
places are really accepting when you might least expect it.
32
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,640
Your government, your country has created these opportunities
33
00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,780
and I encourage everyone to take them up for that challenge
34
00:01:56,780 --> 00:02:01,900
and to pursue it because this program, the Fulbright program, specifically
35
00:02:01,900 --> 00:02:06,800
changed my life. And I want to make sure we share that with as many people as possible.
36
00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:15,320
[upbeat background music]