Hello everyone! My name is Chimgee (Enkhchimeg) Nergui and I am a current Fulbright Student Program scholarship recipient working towards a Masters of Tourism Management at Colorado State University. I was born and raised in the eastern countryside of Mongolia and moved to the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, in 2009 to pursue my higher education.
Growing up as a countryside girl, studying overseas – particularly the United States of America – was a dream to me. In 2011, when I got selected as a Global UGRAD Program participant, my dream turned into a real-life experience and it was the beginning of many more future opportunities, including receiving the Fulbright scholarship. I agree that the process of applying for any scholarship is not an easy task! I applied for the Fulbright Student Program for four years consecutively. I asked for many recommendation letters and revised my personal statement a hundred times. Over time, I felt more confident with my application. I never gave up. Reflecting upon my application progress, these years made me more persistent and encouraged me to create a vision for myself.
As a Fulbrighter and a Global UGRAD, you are challenged to take bolder and bigger steps to accomplish more in life. Through this article, I would like to pass one important message to future Fulbrighters and Global UGRADs: no matter how far the road takes you or how much it challenges you, stay true to your dream and keep fighting because it is really worth the experience. Being both a Fulbrighter and a Global UGRAD, I have learned valuable life skills and built lasting friendships that shaped me to be who I am today. Through both programs, I am very much humbled to be connected with future leaders all around the world!
Written by Enkhchimeg Nergui, 2011-12 Global UGRAD student from Mongolia at Missouri State University