The Times and the Globe

Today I was featured alongside 10 other scholars from Wheaton in the New York Times and Boston Globe! So far, Wheaton has had 11 winners of national academic scholarships, and I am one of them!

News!

I got it!!

Today, life begins as a Fulbrighter! I can't believe I was actually selected as a winner of a Fulbright Scholarship; it's quite a thrill and I have to keep pinching myself to make sure this all isn't a dream.

What this means is that from September 2005 through June 2006, I will be travelling around Estonia, seeking to discover why such a small country that has been independent for just 14 years has become such a player in the wireless community-- particularly in relation to wireless Internet.

While in Estonia, my home base will be in Tallinn, the capital city, which I hear is quite hip and cool. Some people I've talked to have described Tallinn as 'a new Prague,' though when I have told this to other people, they immediately disagree, citing a unique Estonian identity. In large part, it is my goal to understand this identity, particularly how it has influenced the Estonian development of wireless communications. From everything I have read, it seems that these two things go hand in hand, and by actually going to Estonia and talking to all different types of people, I can truly get a sense of this relationship.

In Estonia, I hope to look at wireless Internet in three ways: organizationally, politically, and culturally. Through the organizational lens, I will be able to consider the structure of this technology within Estonia, mostly by looking at raw data detailing computer ownership, number of Internet connections, percentages of these connections which are 'wired' vs. wireless, and cellular telephone ownership. Through the political lens, I hope to look at how Estonians actually interact with wireless Internet-- both in general and on a day-to-day basis-- and who is benefiting the most from this technology. In doing this, I will talk to Estonian businesspeople, schoolchildren, college students, senior citizens, government officials and policymakers-- anyone that uses wireless Internet-- to see how the technology has changed the way they live. Finally, the cultural lens, which I hope to make my biggest focus, will allow me to look at Estonian identity, what makes the Estonian people unique, and if their identity is being altered by rapid advances in this type of technology. Under this category will also fall my attempt to discover the reasons why the Estonian people have arrived at the forefront of this wireless revolution, particurlarly in relation to the very recent soviet occupancy of Estonia. By studying Estonia, a country that I believe has adopted Wi-Fi Internet as more of a necessity than we might imagine, we can learn a lot about our own country, and our own move toward an increasingly wireless society.

Before leaving for Estonia, I will be heading back to California to work at the Lair of the Golden Bear, a family camp run by the University of California, where I will be a lifeguard. In the middle of the summer I head out to Washington, D.C. for a pre-departure orientation where I will meet other Fulbrighters, including the other winners of grants to Estonia! After a week in D.C., I come back to the Lair to finish the summer, and then I expect to fly to Estonia at the beginning of September.

Keep checking back here for updates, though this blog will really take off beginning in late August/September. Also, please share this link with anyone who might be interested. Keep in touch guys, I'll miss you all like crazy when I'm gone!

-John