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GSP Alumnx Spotlight: Bobby Poulson-Houser

  1. Alumnx Connection
    1. GSP Alumnx Spotlight: Tanya F. Zora
    2. GSP Alumnx Spotlight: Bobby Poulson-Houser

Name: Robert "Bobby" Poulson-Houser
Hometown: Scranton, PA
Current City: New Delhi, India
Graduation Year: 2010

Short Bio

I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010 (BA Sociology and Economics) and am currently a Masters student in the International Institute at UM.  The Masters I am pursuing is in South Asian studies and I am proud to have served as GSP's first ever resident adviser.  I currently live in New Delhi, India where I am a Boren Fellow, studying Urdu and volunteering.


How would you describe the significance of the Global Scholars Program?

Global Scholars introduced me to interesting people and gave me lifelong friendships.  It led me to my current graduate school pursuits and inspired me to be a life long learner, traveler and citizen of the world.

What was the hardest part of transitioning out of college life?

The hardest part of transitioning out of college is adjusting to the fact that many of your friends are physically far away and you won't see them much anymore.

What made this transition easier?

The fact that I was still in Ann Arbor and was a part of the GSP community even as a graduate student.

Favorite GSP memory?

The apple orchard trip during our first year.  Even though the facilities were upgraded after our year in East Quad, the GSP members during the first year were the pilot group and were truly special.

What is one lesson you learned the hard way?

Work hard to keep your grades up in all of your classes because you'll never know when you might want to apply to be a GSI for a class with a professor with whom you studied.

What do you aspire for in 10 years?

I hope to be a member of the Foreign Service in the State Department.

Most valuable lesson learned in the GSP Community?

Don't be afraid to talk to people who have already accomplished what you want to accomplish and ask them for advice.  Dr. Yim was a great mentor during my process of applying to graduate school and fellowships.

Advice for Current GSP Students

Show up to the events early and talk to the speakers.  They are almost always there early and are very interesting people.  GSP had a lunch with Paul Theroux and I showed up early and was able to have a one-on-one conversation with a world-famous author for nearly 45 minutes.