{"id":225144,"date":"2025-11-10T16:18:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T02:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=225144"},"modified":"2025-11-10T16:18:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T02:18:03","slug":"fulbright-scholars-bridge-cultures-through-research-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/10\/fulbright-scholars-bridge-cultures-through-research-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Fulbright scholars from UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa bridge cultures through research, teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Group
Nakota DiFonzo (center)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa celebrates International Education Week from November 17 to 21, a current UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa student and alumna are reflecting on how their Fulbright U.S. Student Awards<\/a> have expanded their academic and cultural horizons across the globe.<\/p>\n

Exploring Taiwan\u2019s archives, culture<\/h2>\n

For Department of History<\/a> PhD<\/abbr> candidate Nakota DiFonzo, the Fulbright experience has taken him to Taiwan, where he\u2019s conducting archival research for his dissertation on the history of American education in late Qing and Republican-era China. Based at Academia Sinica in Taipei, one of East Asia\u2019s leading research centers, DiFonzo said the experience has been both academically productive and personally enriching.<\/p>\n

“My experience in Taiwan has been great so far,” DiFonzo said. “I am in the company of a great cohort whose research ranges from history to furniture design to medicine. Everyone is supportive of one another, and I have made valuable connections with leaders and rising stars in various fields.”<\/p>\n

Beyond research, DiFonzo has embraced local culture by joining a language exchange club in Taipei. Weekend potlucks and casual gatherings, he said, have helped him improve his Chinese language skills and better understand Taiwanese perspectives. He\u2019s also started producing street interview videos to further engage with the community and refine his speaking skills.<\/p>\n

Empowering Colombian students through English teaching<\/h2>\n
\"Colborne
Kaia Colborne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recent UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa history graduate Kaia Colborne spent the past year in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, as a Fulbright English teaching assistant (ETA<\/abbr>). Her work focused on teaching English to university students and leading conversation clubs to build confidence and fluency.<\/p>\n

“Living in Bogot\u00e1 has been a huge highlight,” Colborne said. “It\u2019s a wonderful city with so much to explore, and having other ETA<\/abbr>s here has created a great support network. I found meaning and growth in my time in Colombia.”<\/p>\n

Colborne said her time in Colombia deepened her appreciation for international education and reaffirmed her desire to help students experience transformative learning abroad.<\/p>\n

“The experience has strengthened my commitment to working in the international sphere (ideally in international higher ed) and helped me have a better insight into cross-cultural exchange,” she added.<\/p>\n

Both scholars credit UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa Fulbright Program Adviser Kristen Connors for her guidance during the application process—a common thread in their journeys toward global engagement.<\/p>\n

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program will host an information session for students interested in the program on November 17 at 11 a.m. HST. Register here<\/a>. The webinar will be followed by a brief breakout session by campus where Connors will review steps for applying through UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and how to start planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nakota DiFonzo and Kaia Colborne share how their Fulbright U.S. Student Awards have expanded their academic and cultural horizons across the globe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":225185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[90,777,507,225,134,9],"class_list":["post-225144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-alumni","tag-asian-studies","tag-graduate-education","tag-history","tag-international","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t