Arria Hauldin

Arria Hauldin is a 2021 – 2022  Gilman Alumni Ambassador. Hauldin spent the summer of 2019 in Viet Nam as a Gilman Scholar.

Picture of the Karaoke place right across the street from my school in Chu, Viet Nam.

Almost two years into the global pandemic, you might be wondering about what life would be like if you lived somewhere else. Maybe you want to start exploring the world as more places open up, but the unpredictability of the current global landscape could make planning challenging. After my time in Viet Nam, I knew I wanted to live abroad for a longer period of time. With my graduation date, May 2020, fast approaching, I wanted to live and work abroad for a few years before applying to graduate school.  Once I returned to the United States in the Fall of 2019, I decided to apply to the U.S. Peace Corps.

The opportunity to pursue service in an international context was a path I wanted to continue, so the Peace Corps became the perfect choice for me. My Gilman experience helped me reframe my international aspirations and apply them to my Peace Corps application. In my motivational statement, I discussed my international, cross-cultural, and English teaching experience and showcased my desire to continue fine-tuning these skills while adding other aptitudes, such as language learning, throughout my service. In my interview, I was able to draw on certain experiences, such as the fishbowl feeling I felt in rural Viet Nam, and highlight coping mechanisms that I could apply to other cultural contexts. In October 2019, I was invited to serve in US Peace Corps Mongolia which was set to depart in May 2020. In March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic altered those plans.

In the spring of 2021, I still had aspirations to live abroad, but knew the Peace Corps was on hold for the foreseeable future. After confiding in my fellowship advisor, I decided to apply for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Uzbekistan. Researching Mongolia piqued my interest in other East and Central Asian nations. Uzbekistan stood out to me due to its unique history, beautiful architecture, and its distinct religious background. The opportunity to teach in Uzbekistan and learn more about its education system appealed to me because I would be able to explore a culture that was starkly different from previous international experiences.

 

Top – Uzbekistan’ flag. Uzbekistan is a country located in Central Asia.

Bottom – Mongolia’s flag. Mongolia is a country located in East Asia between Russia and China. Both countries are landlocked, post-soviet, countries that gained their independence in the early 1990s.

I spent the summer of 2021 crafting, drafting, and editing my essays with my fellowship advisor. Similarly to my Peace Corps application process, I took the time to reach out to former Fulbright recipients, attend webinars, and browse articles featuring different perspectives. I also spent my time researching Uzbekistan and trying to understand the current events in the nation. Similarly to my Gilman application experience, I worked closely with my fellowship advisor, but also reached out to a wide-range of people, from family to fellow applicants, to proofread and edit my Fulbright essays.

Beyond my Fulbright application, I implemented the same strategies for other fellowship applications that span a similar geographic region. My Gilman experience has been the center of many applications due to the experiences I gained as a Gilman Scholar. My time in Viet Nam allowed me to explore a part of the world I only knew through history books; my time there brought the country to life for me. Additionally, I was able to represent a portion of the American experience that is not often shown to individuals abroad. Cross-cultural exchange was an essential aspect of my time in Viet Nam and I want to continue this in 2022 whether I am in Mongolia, Uzbekistan, or elsewhere. My Gilman experience solidified my desire to see more of the world which will shape my self-perception, my abilities, and my place in the communities I adopt as home.

From the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi, Viet Nam. This picture showcases the 54 ethnic groups that call Viet Nam their home.

Arria Hauldin is a 2021 – 2022  Gilman Alumni Ambassador. Hauldin spent the summer of 2019 in Vietnam as a Gilman Scholar.

Weaving through the crowded hallways of the War Remanents Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, I froze in front of a painting. I was fixated on the details. From the flags in the dove’s beak to the world monuments that decorated the background behind it, this image made me feel something. It made me think back to when I was applying for Gilman.

Truthfully, I did not know a lot about Vietnam prior to applying to Coins For Change (C4C), a Vietnamese non-profit focused on assisting marginalized women and children across the country. The most I knew about the country came from the pages of my history books. I knew the major events surrounding the Vietnam War, but knew very little about Vietnam post-1975. When looking for internships, I knew I wanted to explore a region of the world I did not have a lot of experience in. I wanted to fill in the pieces my history books left behind and truly understand modern-day Vietnam. 

Capital of Vietnam, Ha Noi, located in the north of the country. Taken at the Lotte Center Hanoi, the third tallest building in the country.

My four months in Vietnam definitely showed me the layers of life being lived across the country. From the children running through the mountains of Ha Giang (Ha Zang) to the businesswoman in stilettos on her motorbike in Ha Noi, Vietnam is a kaleidoscope of human diversity that intermingles the old and new.   

From wet markets to supermarkets, the town I taught in had it all. My students loved everything from Kpop to Hip-hop and desired to travel throughout their country and beyond. Across the street from my school was a karaoke club and across from that was a water buffalo restaurant. In my host family’s home, there was a Buddhist praying room across from a laundry room. Fruit-themed outfits were all the rage and silver chains decorated most of my student’s necks.

Vietnam is a country bursting with life that we do not hear a lot about back in the states. Vpop, Vietnamese pop, is not commonly heard in the U.S. (although it should be!) and Vietnamese shows are not commonly played in the U.S. A lot of Americans still think of Vietnam in the context of conflict or war, but the country has changed from the 70s – every country has. Once I returned to the United States, the biggest myth I wanted to dispel is that Vietnam and its neighbors existed in the past.  When I was there, no one mentioned the American War (as it is called in Vietnam). The communities I worked alongside focused on the future. Yes, wars like the American War did impact the country and its people, but after 40 years,  it is a disservice to think of the country as suspended in time. Vietnam is a part of the world today and has a lot to offer our ever-growing global community. Exploring Vietnam, whether through videos, shows, or music, serves as a confirmation of this truth. No country is untouched by time. It’s about time that the image of Vietnam is updated to reflect its modern reality. 

An artistic interpretation of a futuristic Ho Chi Minh City showcased at the Artinus 3D Art Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.