ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, SEPT. 9, 2024 – Grenadian student, Alanda Joseph, is now the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright scholarship and has begun her two-year master’s degree in Educational Psychology and Methodology at the State University of New York at Albany – Graduate School.
Joseph, who applied for the scholarship in 2023, was approved by the Fulbright Scholarship Board (FSB) as one of two regional scholarship recipients for the academic year 2024, after completing the interview process. The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS administers the Fulbright Foreign Student scholarship programme to citizens of the Eastern Caribbean, who are desirous of pursuing graduate and post-graduate studies at accredited higher educational institutions in the United States. The programme is funded by the U.S. Department of State and offers a full academic scholarship to the selected finalists.
The Fulbright Foreign Student programme enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. The Fulbright Foreign Student programme operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year.
“I never thought that I was going to receive such a prestigious award. I am only an ordinary person who grew up on the streets of Marigot, St. John. My mother did not have the world to give to us, but she gave us Jesus and she ensured that we received the education that she could not have afforded as a child. Receiving this award, however, was not solely based on academics. My skills, talents, community involvement, as well as my frequent participation in professional development activities certainly enabled me to be selected in the process,” Joseph said. “In the interview, I spoke with a passion and the interviewers saw beyond my shortcomings. Rather, they saw an individual destined to succeed and to use her abilities to improve the nation for the good of society. For this, I am indebted to God because it was His working. I thank all those who supported me in this journey. I will certainly continue striving to become the best version of myself.”
Prior to her studies, Joseph was employed with the Ministry of Education for 13 years, having taught at St. John’s Christian Secondary and Bonair Government School. She has, among many other achievements, been a writer for the development of the new OECS Harmonized Primary Curriculum for Science. In the future, Joseph aspires to attain a doctoral degree in Educational Neuroscience or Educational Psychology. She intends to conduct research in cognitive development to assist struggling learners, as well as those with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. Joseph is also interested in writing books and academic journals to share her knowledge.
Applications for the Fulbright Foreign Students programme for Eastern Caribbean individuals usually begins on April 1 and ends on July 1. Students who receive this scholarship are expected to return to their home country, following studies, to allow that country to benefit from their increased knowledge, skills and experience. Joseph encourages her fellow Grenadians to apply for this beneficial award.
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