The Cohort Separates
Sonia, Rajesh, Monta 
Monta and Poonam
Wednesday 17 July 2019 might have been an ordinary day in most of the world but for the Fulbright cohort it marked a day of separation, laughter, singing, and a change in the life we’ve known for the three weeks of our field experience.
The local Fulbright alumni, who had helped us navigate the language and customs of India after planning all the elements, would return to their homes and their lives without a group of Americans who had occupied their days for so long. Rajesh, Monta, Poonam, and Sonia had greeted us on our first day and introduced us to Indian culture. They translated for us, suggested ways we could get the best out of our time in India, and carried with them a sense of the world in New Delhi. They proved to be invaluable guides. From our first day’s visit to a farming village, trips to temples, shopping visits, and during meals, their message remained: The guest is a special person—and they treated us that way.
Our parting was bittersweet: We recognized our accomplishments in several sharing exercises during our meeting, presented our hosts with presents, and in turn received presents from them. Our feelings and words conveyed a sense of leaving an experience that had changed us considerably. That theme of change came through in all our discussions today. Sadly, we will never have these moments again but happily those moments have touched us to our respective cores.
For myself, I had approached the field experience with some trepidation. I had not been out of the country before and I was comfortable living my life in Vermont. International travel and the Fulbright experience changed me greatly. I shared more of myself, made new friends, took an incredible amount of notes, did some writing, learned new ways of using technology, and explored a culture that had seemed distant by throwing myself into a community of like-minded individuals. Equally important, the theme of becoming a better educator as a result of this experience wove through each day since 2 July when I arrived in India. Those threads now bind me, creating an awareness of another culture seen up close and personal, and powerful memories of people different than myself. In those differences, I have found a bond to the people of India, especially the Fulbright alumni who helped us, and to the members of the 2019 Fulbright cohort. Words seem insufficient to describe all the conversations and moments we shared over these three weeks.
In the course of our celebration, we reviewed what we had accomplished and what we would bring back to our classrooms in the United States. There was poetry and song, and Les played his saxophone. What a beautiful day, a culmination of a wonderful experience!
8:00 am
Bill, your writing on the final day has touched my heart. Wish you all the best.
Rathna
1:22 am
Rathnakaran: We have created a great bond with you and your students. The value of the Fulbright TGC program has been proven by the depth of our experience and this common bond. —Bill
2:01 pm
My eyes are moist once again thinking of all this experience has brought to you. It’s just marvelous, too, to think about how this will inform your experience with our students. What a window into the part of the world so many of them come from. How much longer are you in India? Safe travels.
3:43 pm
Matt: Once again, thank you for following the blog and offering comments. Yes, there was a lot of emotion in the room. We truly became close to our in-country hosts and relied on them for many things. They became friends, not “merely” interpreters or organizers. The same could be said for the members of the 2019 cohort. We had five men, including our project coordinator, and eight women. We all come from different parts of the country and teach different subjects, ranging from music to special education, science and math, and a variety of humanities offerings. Traveling around the country together and then working exclusively with one partner for a week—and creating new relationships with a host teacher and staff members from an Indian school—tightened our common bond as educators. I wish we could package that feeling and sustain it in every school in the US. I have never felt so close to a group of people and so reliant on them for support. I was very proud to be a teacher and included in such a dynamic group. —Bill
1:00 pm
Bill,
I am so happy for you and for all you encountered on this incredible journey- truly an experience of a lifetime. I’m enjoying all the wonderful journal entries of your amazing experience. : )
Jean.
1:54 pm
Jean: Thanks for reading my posts. Yes, it was an amazing trip. I’m gradually decompressing now in Worcester in the UK, doing more traveling and seeing history up close and personal. —Bill