Get to know the authorSkyler Rutkowski is the latest winner of the Bright!Tax Global Scholar Award.
The award is made biannually to exceptional young Americans who wish to study overseas.
Skyler is the eighth recipient of the award, which was launched in 2016 by Bright!Tax, the world-leading expat tax services firm.
Skyler is currently working towards a PHD in International Relations at the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya. Previously she studied at the State University of New York, Fredonia, where she graduated Cum Laude and made the Dean’s List or President’s List every semester. She is the first member of her family to go university, and after graduating from SUNY she worked at M&T to raise money to continue her studies while also volunteering and mentoring high school students applying for college.
Skyler said: “Being an expat is truly a journey of discovery and self-reflection. What I love most about it is having the ability to immerse myself in cultures that differ so much from any that I’ve known in the US. It grants me perspectives I could never imagine having if I had only ever stayed in one place. Once I finish grad school in Kenya, I plan to take the FSOT in hopes of becoming a US Diplomat.”
She continued: “Being a citizen of the United States has many benefits while traveling abroad. Throughout my travels, I have most often been respected, and people have almost always been friendly towards me. People I’ve met abroad are often very patient with me in our cultural differences and understanding of my learning curve as I acclimate to a new culture. One of my favorite parts of being an American abroad is the cultural exchanges I have while meeting new people. Many people are often as interested in learning about the US as I am about learning about their country.”
” Living abroad truly broadens one’s horizons, and we established the Global Scholar Award to allow a new generation of young Americans to experience living overseas. ” – Greg Dewald, Bright!Tax CEO
Bright!Tax CEO Greg Dewald created the Bright!Tax Global Scholar Award to help young Americans experience living abroad.
Dewald said: “Bright!Tax works with American expat clients in almost every country in the world, and we hear about their incredible experiences and we salute their courage every day. Living abroad truly broadens one’s horizons, and we established the Global Scholar Award to allow a new generation of young Americans to experience living overseas. Skyler is an exemplary young American, working hard to realize her dream of being a US diplomat. She has a bright future ahead of her, and with our support I’m sure she’ll achieve great things.”
