Fulbright-Hays Fellow: Transforming Counseling Through Global Research

In July, Nowoola Awopetu, MS, NCC, visited Tanzania to participate in a monthlong Fulbright-Hays research project through a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Fellowship, an experience he describes as life-changing. The opportunity was made possible by a grant from the Fulbright-Hays Program, part of the larger Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and Awopetu encourages his fellow counselors-in-training to explore similar possibilities and apply. 

The program was led by the American Institute for Resource and Human Development, Inc. (AIRHD), under the direction of Professor Fredoline Anunobi, who has led the program for over a decade with projects spanning multiple countries across Africa, including Tanzania and Ghana. 

The son of Nigerian immigrants, Awopetu is pursuing his PhD at Virginia Commonwealth University. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, both from Villanova University, where he also worked with student athletes and was a Division I football player. He is the founder of Pressing Forward Performance, where he helps fellow athletes, teams, and organizations thrive in sports and in life. “I also host the Pressing Forward podcast, a platform centered on student-athlete development that addresses mental health, finances, personal development, and faith,” he shares. 

Awopetu’s research interests include adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and cultural identity development in underserved adolescents and student athletes. “Through my research, I aim to understand how systemic inequities and early adversity shape identity, mental health, career development, and resilience,” he says.  

He learned about the Fulbright-Hays Program, which is primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Education, from an advisor and decided to apply. “As a first-generation college student, my parents stressed the importance of education and making the most of those opportunities they weren’t as privy to,” he recalls. The application process included preparing a personal statement about why he wanted to participate, what he hoped to gain from the experience, and how he would use the opportunity to make a broader impact, he says.  

“My passion is in youth development; I saw this program as an opportunity to further explore and understand cross-cultural differences in youth mental health disparities and how these concerns are being addressed globally,” he says. “Additionally, the opportunity to examine and engage differently in teaching and learning pedagogy intrigued me as well. This trip aligned as a great opportunity to be a part of that.”  

Fulbright programs have been providing unique learning opportunities for years. The Fulbright U.S. program was founded in 1946 “to foster mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of students, scholars, teachers, and professionals,” according to its website. President John F. Kennedy later signed the Fulbright-Hays Act, which permitted funding from foreign governments for the programs. 

The Fulbright–Hays Program awards grants for research and training to teachers and administrators, pre-doctoral students, post-doctoral faculty, and U.S. institutions and organizations as well. What sets it apart is that it is one of only a few Fulbright programs that fund group projects abroad rather than individual projects, though grants are also available for doctoral dissertation research and faculty research, and there are Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad available for other projects. 

The grants support overseas experiences that can last 4–8 weeks or as long as 3–12 months and may include seminars, curriculum development, group research or study, or long-term language immersion. 

Awopetu was thrilled to learn he had been selected to participate. 

“I was excited—beyond excited—and grateful to God for the opportunity to be immersed in another culture, and to learn!” he says, adding, “I was supported by a series of people in my support system to make this trip possible, and I couldn’t be more thankful for them.” 

Visiting Africa was a long-held dream. 

“It was important to me that my first trip abroad be to Africa, where my heritage and origins are from,” he says, adding that the opportunity to learn a new language was also appealing. 

Some of Awopetu’s most memorable experiences included courses on the history of Tanzania and learning Swahili at the University of Dar es Salaam. 

“Visiting historic sites like Bagamoyo and the Mangapwani Slave Chamber in Zanzibar provided crucial context for understanding how historical trauma continues to influence contemporary educational experiences,” he shares. “Local attractions including Karikoo market, the safari, and exhibits of such talented artists all added to my memorable experiences.” 

He was especially excited to work with local students.  

“I led and facilitated a classroom lesson with high school students at White Lake High School, a private boarding school, where we discussed mentorship and the value of relationships,” Awopetu says. “The students were engaged, and I learned just as much from them as they perhaps learned from me.” 

He also enjoyed interacting with the local community, whom he remembers as “absolutely welcoming and friendly people, eager to teach us the language and engage with us.” 

Awopetu encourages fellow counselors-in-training to explore Fulbright programs, similar study abroad grants, and other scholarships and fellowships, and most important—to follow through and apply. His service learning in Tanzanian culture has enriched his life and work immeasurably, he says. 

“It is a life-changing and eye-opening experience, one that necessitates having an open and respectful mind of other people’s culture and traditions,” he says. “Expect to be challenged in what you consider to be your ‘norm’ and equally embrace those differences.”  

Read more about Nowoola Awopetu’s experience in Tanzania and see photos on his blog. Visit these sites for more information about Fulbright U.S. Student Program opportunities and the Fulbright-Hays Program. The NBCC Foundation also offers annual counseling scholarships and fellowships; details about those awards are available here.