Mercyhurst’s Fulbright program celebrates 21 years with new global faces from Algeria and Taiwan

Despite hailing from Algeria in North Africa, which many might surmise to be desert, Amel Mebarki says she’s quite familiar with the cold/snow and poised for an Erie winter.
 
Coming from a subtropical region, Chia-Hui Lin is more accustomed to the scorching heat of her native Taiwan. Winter will be a distinct change of pace, factoring in the hats, coats, and boots.
 
Both women have come to the United States for the first time where they will study, teach, and share their cultures with the Mercyhurst community as Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA).
 
First impressions have been positive. “I love how everything is clean; technology is amazing; everything is huge; and the Americans are so nice,” Mebarki said.
 
“The professors are super friendly and welcoming, and the students are well-trained,” Lin added.
 
As cultural ambassadors, both Mebarki and Lin are eager to absorb all that Mercyhurst and Erie have to offer while making the most of their new roles. For Mebarki, Mercyhurst’s first FLTA from Algeria, sharing her culture means talking about the Algerian people and their giving nature, about family gatherings, music, dance, food, and weddings that go on for three days straight. It’s also a chance to correct misconceptions, like the fact that most people think of North Africa as a desert, when in fact, she enjoys all four seasons in Algeria and snow is no stranger.
 
Lin is eager to share her people’s goodness, calling them “the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan,” and stressing their acceptance of all genders, religions, ethnicities, opinions, and more.
 
At 43, Lin has been teaching English in Taiwan for 20 years and, despite her considerable experience, believes you can always learn something new. “I hope to be the best I can be and upgrade myself by watching my colleagues,” said Lin, who is teaching Mandarin and Taiwanese culture while taking courses in Early American Literature and Relationship Psychology. “I think we can benefit from each other."
 
Dr. Alice Edwards, chair of the Department of Anthropology and World Languages, who oversees the 21-year-old Fulbright program at Mercyhurst, couldn’t agree more. “Having FLTAs has enriched our students’ academic experience and cultural awareness,” she said. “Our FLTAs have opened doors to graduate schools and travel-abroad opportunities for our students and provided them with contacts all over the world. Most of all, the program has created deep, rich relationships for students and faculty.”
 
Like Lin, Mebarki already maintains a position in her homeland where she teaches English and Arabic, the latter of which she is also teaching at Mercyhurst, along with Algerian culture. She is taking courses in Computer Design and Professional Writing.
 
“I feel really blessed and grateful to be here,” said 25-year-old Mebarki, who has steeped herself in student life at Mercyhurst, especially enjoying the university’s cohort of international students, with whom she attends different events like game nights and food fests. She is also feeling a tad closer to home as a member of the university’s soccer club, which gets her out on the field exercising and building friendships.
 
In the true spirit of cultural exchange, Mebarki said she is trying to learn more about American football while helping her new friends learn more about Algerian soccer and the Algerians’ passion for the sport.
 
Lin, 43, has also engaged with the student body by attending events organized through the Student Union and International Student Office. In addition, she has taken another route toward engaging her new community by volunteering, including stints at Moonlight by the Bay, a fundraiser for the Crime Victim Center of Erie; the recent Irish Festival, a celebration devoted to Celtic culture; and Emmaus Soup Kitchen.
 
“Volunteering is one of the ways I give back to Mercyhurst and Erie for the warmth and support I have received here,” she said. “‘Gratitude education is something I always teach my students.”
 
At year’s end, Mebarki and Lin intend to return to their respective homelands and assume their teaching positions there and, although they are just embarking on their Fulbright year at Mercyhurst, both are seeing opportunities that can benefit their students back home.

PHOTO: Amel Mebarki (l) and Chia-Hui Lin