Hej! Hello! My name is Nicole Tong–it's nice to meet you! I am a 22-year-old from Lisle, IL, where I spent a lot of time reading, hiking, getting lost in corn mazes, and swimming in Lake Michigan.
When I was little, I was always amazed by how computers and robots work. I found it so cool that some powerful computers, called artificial intelligence, could be good at things humans could do, like doing math or writing poems or playing games. One robot even beat a world-champion grandmaster at chess! With this interest, I moved to California when I was 18 to study computer science at Stanford University. I loved the palm trees and beaches.
After graduating, I joined the Fulbright program. Now, I am living in Umeå, Sweden, a city only 200 miles below the Arctic Circle! Brrrrr. I am working at Umeå University to study how to combine fairness and technology to help make the world a better place. In the next few months, I'm excited to share my journey with you as I meet new friends, try Swedish traditions like fika (an afternoon pastry break), and maybe even spot the Northern Lights. Hej då! Goodbye for now!
Want to learn how you could be a Fulbright Scholar like me? The Fulbright Program is the United States government's flagship international exchange program. Fulbrighters foster mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Learn more by clicking here!
