Vaitea Bahri, an Arts et Métiers student, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship that will allow her to leave for Berkeley on August 1 with peace of mind.
A year in California at the University of Berkeley is the exciting prospect awaiting Vaitea Bahri, currently enrolled in the national research-oriented master's program in Energy Conversion Machinery Engineering on the Paris campus.
Her application has been accepted for a one-year master's degree in "Engineering Systems" with a major in "Energy Systems" in the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) department at Berkeley. And the icing on the cake is that her stay is largely funded by a prestigious Fulbright Student Grant, a program subsidized by the United States and other countries. In addition, thanks to this distinction, Vaitea Bahri has received financial support from the Monahan Foundation.
"This is especially important given that tuition at Berkeley is $58,000," explains Vaitea Bahri."Even with a scholarship from Berkeley, I would have had a hard time making ends meet without Fulbrightand theMonahan Foundation.Now I know I can study without stress."
Now I know that I will be able to study without stress.
A selective program
The Fulbright program is highly selective, with an admission rate of less than 4% this year! "The important thing is to have confidence in yourself and believe in your project," smiles Vaitea Bahri, explaining her success.Preparing the application also requires having a well-developed career plan and a very structured way of thinking."
To apply, you must submit an application explaining your career plans, your choice of studies and the institution(s) you are applying to, and your short-, medium- and long-term career plans. And the least we can say is that Vaitea Bahri's plans are already well defined!
The important thing is to have confidence in yourself and believe in your project.
A career in renewable energy
"I think myapplicationwas appealing because I have anunusual background.I am originally from Tahiti and completed all my schooling (including preparatory classes) in New Caledonia before coming to mainland France in 2018 to study at engineering school. I want to specialize in renewable energy and environmental protection because I want to become an active member of the energy transitionby proposing sustainable solutions for a profound change in energy production and consumption patterns.And Berkeley is a university at the cutting edge of technology in this field, particularly in renewable energy storage using hydrogen. This is the sector I want to work in. Then, I hope to pursue an international career to learn what is being done around the world and experience different cultures. Finally, I will return to New Caledonia to develop renewable energy and maybe even start my own business!
I want to specialize in renewable energy and environmental protection because I want to become an active member of the energy transition by proposing sustainable solutions for a profound change in the ways energy is produced and consumed.
A sympathetic jury
Her written application was convincing, and Vaitea Bahri then appeared before the jury for an oral interview: "All the members were very kind. Their main aim is to get to know the candidates better, not to trip them up."
"A big thank you to the teachers who supported me."
"I spent hours putting together my application," Vaitea Bahri continues. "But even if I hadn't been accepted, it would have been worth it because it helped me refine my career plans. Above all, Iwould like to express my heartfelt thanks to theArts et Métiers teachers,MichaelDeligant and Jérôme Arnaud, and my prep school teachers, Elric Thomas and Eric Labrousse, for their involvement inmyapplications. I could never have done it without you, thank you so much!"
