Student Spotlight | Fulbright Recipients Sabrina Epinoza and Kellen Hullinger

“I’m studying health, society and policy at the U. I received the US-UK Fulbright Summer Institute opportunity—specifically, a program called ‘Modern Britain: Institutions, Power, and People’ combined with environment and sustainability. It’s a month-long study abroad in London, July 4 through Aug. 1.” 

What do you wish you knew a year ago about the Fulbright application process?

A year ago, I wished I had more information about the different Fulbright scholarships offered, such as summer institutes. When applying for scholarships, it's important to have a "why not me?" attitude, and I wish I had adopted this mentality sooner, as it has led me to strive for bigger things.

How does this trip align with your future academic or career goals?

As a public health student, my intention is to use my education to solve major social and structural issues in the healthcare sector. The opportunity to learn British institutions and politics in comparison to the United States structure is incredibly valuable for my studies and future career growth.

Now that you've arrived at your destination, what has been the most surprising so far? What has been the most exciting? 
 
The most exciting part has been the opportunity to meet so many people from several different countries. It's been a valuable experience for me to gain new perspectives through simple conversations and friendships. We get to compare our own cultures to each other and to the UK’s.

Now that you're on your trip, what preparations did you make before that were most helpful?

The Fulbright program has done an excellent job helping me prepare, such as suggesting a packing list for portable fans and converter chargers.

Have you experienced any culture shock yet?

It feels like I have to relearn how to do the little things, such as using the escalator, opening doors, crossing the street, and navigating public transit. It's important to stand on the right side of the escalator to let walkers through; some doors have automatic buttons you are required to press; people on the street walk very fast, etc.

How is your program going so far? What have you found valuable in your experience?

The program is going great! I have been able to explore London and sightsee at multiple museums so far. I feel so grateful every day that I have this opportunity to experience London and study here. This is something that I could never have imagined possible, and I hope to open more doors with this opportunity and continue to apply to more scholarships.

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Kellen Hullinger will employ his expertise in German language and culture, TESOL and linguistics training, and middle school language teaching experience to teach English in Germany. 
 
What do you wish you knew a year ago about the Fulbright application process?

It would have been nice to know just how long it was actually going to take. I knew from the beginning it was going to be a long process, but I really couldn’t conceptualize how long it actually was going to be. I had to submit my application in October, and then I didn't hear back from them until January, with kind of a preliminary notice that I was considered for the next round, and then I had to wait even a few more months to finally actually hear that I had gotten it back. So, it really is like a year-long application process, and I think just being mentally prepared for that would have really helped.

How does this trip align with your future academic or career goals?

I've been considering going into language teaching as a career. I have my TESOL certification, and I majored in linguistics, German, and world languages and cultures, so I'm focused on language and how language is taught. This opportunity gives me some practice with teaching English to non-native English speakers, which I'm really looking forward to. Upon returning to the U.S., I may choose to teach German, or I may continue to teach English to non-native speakers. I think that language teaching is important and something we need to emphasize more than ever, especially when AI seems to be taking up a lot of heavy labor in the language industry, like translation and interpretation. I think that the cultural experience of learning a language is kind of receding, and I think that we need to revitalize that and bring that experience to our youth.

What do you most hope to gain from this experience?

I've been to Germany twice now. My first experience was in northern Germany in Kiel. I lived with a host family for about a month, and I really fell in love with Germany and the culture, so I'm really looking forward to living there for a longer period to really immerse myself in the language and the culture. My German is quite good, but it definitely needs an immersive experience to really get it to the level that I want it to be at, so that's one thing that I'm really looking forward to and of course building upon my teaching experience and growing as a teacher. Also the place I'll be living in has a lot of rock-climbing history. I fell in love with rock climbing about two years ago, and I'm really looking forward to exploring what Germany has to offer. There's a rich history of climbing and mountaineering in Germany as a whole, and so I'm looking forward to developing my skills as a climber and becoming aware of how other places in the world manage the risk of rock climbing.

Who helped you throughout the Fulbright process?

Really, I can think of so many people. My parents, my younger brother, and my girlfriend just gave me that moral support throughout this entire process. In particular, Allison and Susan from the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships were working with me all the time on my drafts. I was sending them back and forth to get feedback on my application. They were crucial help in this process and helped refine my application. They’ve dealt with hundreds of applications, and so they know what the Fulbright Committee is looking for. They really helped me home in on my application and be precise with what I was saying. And then, of course, the entire German department: Professor Metz, Professor Baumgart, Professor Grunbaum, Professor Gerstenberger, they were all there to help me. Also, Karen Marsh from the College of Humanities was a huge help as well. Last but not least, my linguistics professor, Melissa Mendelsohn, was a huge help as well.

How are you preparing to leave for your trip?

I think most of the preparations are mental in nature, just being prepared to live abroad for almost a whole year and kind of saying goodbye to a lot of the people here as well. There are still so many things I feel I want to do in Utah and in Salt Lake, even though I was born and raised here. So, trying to get those things in while also mentally getting myself ready to live abroad, like looking for an apartment and trying to meet people there beforehand. It's a very mental preparation alongside all bureaucratic things like visa applications and turning in documents.

Do you have any fun summer plans? If so, what are you up to?

I just got back from Austria. I was in Vienna visiting my brother there, and that was a good kind of warm-up for being in Germany, getting my German practice under my belt and just building up my confidence with speaking in German to strangers on the street and whatnot. But I'm also hoping to get out and climb a little bit more before I leave, as well as get on some hikes locally. Also, just spending a lot of time with my friends, family, and girlfriend before I leave. I know that I'll have people coming over to visit me at some point, but I think that physical closeness is something very important to me and something that I want to make sure I get in as much as possible before I leave.