Across Cultures and Classrooms: A Scholar's Fulbright Journey in Slovakia

When St. Petersburg College Professor Shelbey Rosengarten arrived in Nitra, Slovakia, in early September, she didn’t know anyone, didn’t know the language and had no idea what to expect. And that was exactly the point. Getting to know the people and culture of this small agricultural town was all part of the experience of being a Fulbright Scholar.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship program of international educational and cultural exchange, offering students and scholars in more than 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research and exchange ideas. Selected for the prestigious award for the 2025 Fall Term, Rosengarten joined a distinguished group that includes Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and heads of state. The award provided the opportunity to teach English and American Studies at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra.

“I’ve always been interested in how different countries teach writing,” said Rosengarten, who teaches English composition, literature and technical writing at SPC.

Rosengarten previously conducted virtual exchanges with professors in Northern Ireland, and she led SPC students on a Study Abroad trip to Ireland in 2024. She enjoys experimenting with different approaches to creative writing and is already brimming with ideas from her time in Nitra to bring back to her classes at SPC.

“Every semester I change things up,” she said. Focusing on academic, argumentative, analytical, professional and reflective writing, she also incorporates media literacy and creative thought into her classes, encouraging students to think critically and explore their potential. “Creative thinking is a big part of my classes. Being playful is important in everyone’s education, it’s how you come up with new ideas.”

Living in Nitra has allowed her to step outside of her comfort zone as she’s been making connections, learning some Slovakian (or trying), exploring the town and its castle, and joining an English conversation club at a local bookstore led by a retired teacher.

“I end up chatting with people at shops and restaurants because they hear an American accent and they have questions,” she said. “I tend to be shy, but I wanted to make the most of this, so I’ve been trying things and going places. That’s not something I would have been ready to do 10 or 20 years ago.”

She’s also been visiting other classes at the university just to chat, offering students a chance to hear an American accent and ask questions as they work on their English. “It’s surprising how many students have never met anyone from America.”

She hopes her story will inspire others to apply for Fulbright.

“The exposure to difference experiences and cultures brings intangible benefits,” she said. “We all face similar struggles, and there so much to learn from each other.”