Am I scared? Short answer – YES! In a little over a week, I will travel ½ way across the world to India – for ten months no less – far away from my family, friends, & pretty much everything I’ve ever known. The opportunity of a lifetime, without a doubt, that is what I have here . . . but, the great blessing of being awarded a Fulbright Grant is not without feelings of nervousness, fear, anxiety, and shock.
My head is literally spinning right now & I find myself wondering, “Jess, what did you get yourself into?!?!?!?!” I applied for the Fulbright because of obvious reasons . . . the chance to experience a new country and culture . . . the opportunity to meet new people & make lifelong connections . . . the great privilege of being affiliated with a prestigious group of past and present leaders . . . yes, yes, yes the list goes on. But, I also applied for this opportunity because I knew that it was time for me to go for something that I thought was unattainable.
Living and teaching abroad was a dream of mine and I applied for the program because I refused to sell myself short any longer and let fear or insecurity rule me and make me play it safe. My mantra became, “At the very least, you must TRY . . . At the very least, you must TRY . . . At the very least, you must TRY . . .” I’ve finally begun to realize that I, too, am worthy of my dreams. Somehow I got it into my head that a young black woman, born & raised on the East side of Detroit and a product of Detroit Public Schools, could in fact have something to offer the world. (For that first small whisper of confidence, I say “Thank you, Jesus.”)
Further, I pushed past the fear of rejection in order to tell my future students, in Teach for America & now in New Delhi :-), that they can do ANYTHING! Hard work + prayer + focus + God’s provision + belief in one ’s self can make a world of difference. I want my students to know that programs like Fulbright are indeed a possibility – regardless of their race, gender, income level or circumstances – so long as they do the work necessary to achieve whatever goals they may have. Believing that you can achieve your dreams is ½ of the battle – oftentimes we don’t even try if we fail to believe that we’ll succeed, but as cheesy as it sounds – you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. If nothing else (even though I’m certain there will be much much more to learn from this experience), I’ve learned that the only limits I have are those that I place on myself.
I am so very grateful to God that I had the courage, feeble courage but courage nonetheless, to apply for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Grant to India. Although I do not know what lies ahead, I do know that my steps have been ordered and I, Jessica Cooper, have a purpose to fulfill. This trip is going to change my life & I hope that you’ll come along for this journey with me by reading future posts. I made a promise to God and to myself that I would not waste this opportunity . . . Namaste beautiful India, I look forward to meeting you soon . . .
