We recently sat down with former Luce Scholars to answer frequently asked questions about the Program.
Dustin Palmer was a Luce Scholar in 2016-2017. He spent the year in Myanmar.
Your Whole Job Is To Learn
Established in 1974, the Luce Scholars Program is a competitive leadership development fellowship. Dusin Palmer relished the opportunity. “My whole job was to learn, to try to understand, and to be open to experiences,” he said, “There aren’t many times in your life when you get a chance to do something like that.” Palmer said stepping into the bustling Myanmar with the chief aim of immersion and understanding was his favorite aspect of his Luce Year.
Different Forms of Family and Connection When You’re on Your Own
A year in Asia means missing milestones and community back home. Like many who apply, Palmer was worried about being away from home for so long: “This is a year away,” he said. After completing his Luce Year, Palmer recognized the immense opportunity immersion created. “It was a special opportunity,” he said, “to lean in and use [the distance from home] as fuel to make the most of forming relationships.”
Uncertainty Is Kind of The Point
When asked to share advice for future Luce Scholars, Palmer remembered stomach bugs that plagued his Luce Year. “I got sick a bunch during the year,” he said. Rather than surrender, though, Palmer dug in. “[Now] I’m going to understand a little bit more about the health system here,” he thought at the time, “or how colleagues support each other.”
Palmer recalls the weather, and how he showed up to the office covered in sweat most days. At first, he was embarrassed. But again, rather than giving up, Palmer dug in. “I just moved past it,” he said, “I moved through it.” This is precisely the point of the Luce Scholars Program.
“There will be uncomfortable things,” Palmer explained, “but that helps you grow, that opens you up.”
