October 2, 2006
Dear Luung Bob,
..There is a big moment I would like to share and break out of a stuff of my life. Last two months, among 200 applicants in the Fulbright National Open Competition Program, I am the one in 37 selected for the interview. Outside of the interview room on the seventeen-storey building, I have some talks with the candidates. They come from diverse backgrounds with high profiles that make me wonder how could I am with them here. I take a deep breath, and walk into the quiet luxurious room where outside of the windows is the morning city life in Bangkok. There are 2 inspectors and 7 binational committees, I sit opposite them and, in front of me, the ambassador of Thailand. They all seem to be concentrated on their papers and created their questions. I have 15 minutes to express my views and answer their questions; I do not know why I do not feel as much excited as what I think. They ask some questions about Tennessee because I write ONE BIG PARAGRAPH of this wonderful experience in the biographical statement of my application form. During the interview, I show my passion and a sense of pride to be an agricultural student. Some of them crack up when they know I am a member of the Mushroom Club. For the final result, although I am not chosen to be one of the 6 Fulbright grantees, I feel deeply honored to have been invited here.
Hindsight is an invaluable thing giving me the opportunity to make it better for next possibility in my life. After all things go, I begin to raise questions in my mind how could I made this far. Then, the international affair activities come up beyond these questions. From this experience, I realize that university life is more than just the text books and the study confined in the classroom. Both of these things are not really enough to challenge the big match and open us to the world. The cross-cultural experience gives the substantial different to my life and my perspective. It makes me concern that there are no boundaries and borderlines of the country in this big flat world if I intentionally get ready to learn more. These are the things I would like to send the message to the people working for the KU-UTIA program. Some of them might not know how much this program plays a crucial role to the life of an ordinary student, gears her to stand out of many candidates, train her to keep calm in that situation, and incredibly take few tact and diplomacy to convince the committees. Thank you very much for all your hard work and hope y'all believe that the productivity of success is coming up soon.
Best regards, PUNA
Reply follows:
Dear Puna,
I e-mailed a copy of your letter to everyone who helps put on the program for
the KU students. It means a lot to everyone that their efforts are
appreciated and even more that what they have done has made a positive impact on
someone's life. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Sincerely,
Luung Bob [aka Dr. Bob aka Robert Orr]