A Fulbright Internship in Taiwan? This Graduate Student Said Yes

What are you up to this summer?

In June, I was an intern in the Fulbright Taiwan office in Taipei. Fulbright Taiwan is a foundation for scholarly exchange and part of the Fulbright program worldwide. I applied through the Center for Asia Pacific Studies here at USF. Being Asian, I love to be in touch with a program that has opportunities in Asia.

What did you do at Fulbright Taiwan?

I helped with their administrative work and managed their social media. And in my free time I explored. I visited Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the company that makes microchips for Nvidia, Apple, and many other companies. It was amazing to see where the world gets its semiconductors.

Any stories?

My first day in Taiwan, I went to a cafe and the waitress was really sweet. I tipped her because she was really kind, but then she looked at me, and then she looked at her boss, who was standing near the counter, and he shook his head. I felt bad. I didn’t speak Mandarin and she didn’t speak English. And then I walked back to the Fulbright office and the director told me not to feel bad; it’s just that there’s no tipping culture in Taiwan.

What’s your major?

I was a physics major as an undergraduate, and this fall I’ll be a master’s student in applied economics. I’m in the 4+1 program. I earn two degrees in five years. I’m interested in banking, in international banking. I’d like to create global systems or standards for personal banking, to make it easier for people to bank across borders. Right now, it’s difficult for a person from overseas to open an account at Bank of America. I know because I’ve done it. 

How did you hear about the 4+1 program?

At one of our end-of-the-semester lunches in the physics department, Professor Marcelo Camperi  mentioned it to us. He said that if by chance any of us were interested in working in technology or finance or banking or in some other math-related field outside of physics, we should look into the
4+1 program and into applied economics.

What’s your career advice to your first-year self?

Speak up. When I was a freshman at USF, I was an introvert. I’m from India. I hardly spoke to anyone. It was really hard for me, sitting in a corner with my textbook, struggling. I had so many questions but I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to sound dumb. But then in my sophomore year I reached out to my professors. They explained physics to me better than any book ever could. So my advice is, ask your professors. Ask your classmates. Reach out to the career center. Ask them to help you with your resume and your LinkedIn page. Ask your CASA coach. Keep in touch with professors Wei Yang Menkus and Genevieve Leung at the Center for Asia Pacific Studies. Go to Taiwan and talk with people who don’t speak your language. You can still make gestures. You can still connect. You can still learn. A USF education is not always about books; it’s about people. Everything changed when I started to reach out.