Fulbright Scholars are some of the most accomplished and ambitious people in the world, dedicating their lives to knowledge and positive change. Sarah Al Asmar recently joined their ranks at just 22 years old.

Al Asmar, a graduate student from Lebanon, recently received a Fulbright Scholar Award to study at UCF. This fall, she began her studies in the School of Public Administration’s master’s in public policy program, housed in the College of Community Innovation and Education at UCF Downtown. She plans to graduate in 2026.

The Fulbright Program invites scholars and subject-matter experts across the globe to share research and study at universities abroad on temporary appointments. These awards appeal to scholars at all career levels.

Al Asmar first learned about the program in high school while pursuing a study-abroad opportunity with the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program. Disheartened by the living conditions in her home country, she says she was determined to leave for better prospects.

In 2024, 73% of Lebanon’s population is estimated to be living in poverty, according to a World Bank report. Since President Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022, a new leader has not taken over the country’s parliamentary system.

“Lebanon has a failed government,” Al Asmar says. “It has no president, no basic life services and no rule of law. When I realized the Fulbright Program could fully fund my graduate studies in the U.S., I told myself, ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes to get this scholarship.’ ”

“I told myself I was going to become the person who changed everything I disliked about Lebanon.” — Sarah Al Asmar, UCF student and Fulbright Scholar

Through the YES Program, Al Asmar moved to Arizona as a high school exchange student. In the same year, she was invited to represent Lebanon as a young ambassador in Washington, D.C. — a major turning point in her professional development.

“Meeting the senators and House representatives at Capitol Hill, I realized my passions lie in political science and public policy,” Al Asmar says. “I told myself I was going to become the person who changed everything I disliked about Lebanon.”

Al Asmar returned home to study political science at the prestigious Lebanese American University. During that time, she witnessed the 2020 Beirut explosion, which strengthened her desire to reform Lebanon’s public policy. She applied to the Fulbright Scholar Program shortly after graduating, and she received her fellowship this past summer.

Al Asmar says she is grateful for the opportunity and believes her Fulbright experience will help her achieve her long-term goal of working in the Lebanese government.

“I hope to bring social change to Lebanon,” Al Asmar says. “I want to change how people view each other by creating a common ground between them. When you build mutual understanding between people from different countries, you can take that understanding and apply it in your home country. My time at UCF will help me learn to bridge cultural gaps with people from different backgrounds.”

“I hope to bring social change to Lebanon.” — Sarah Al Asmar, UCF student and Fulbright Scholar

For other international students who may be considering studying abroad or applying to the Fulbright Program, Al Asmar advises them that effort is key to success.

“When you make an effort, lots of opportunities come with it,” Al Asmar says. “Financial constraints were a big deal for me. I couldn’t afford to travel or go to a prestigious university, but I had a goal in mind and did not let anything stop me — and now, here I am. With commitment and determination, you can go anywhere.”