The Sunnyvale Sun

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Fulbright scholar heads to Mexico to do research

By Erin Hussey

When Veyom Bahl graduated from Lynbrook High School in 2003, he left a lasting impression on teachers, administrators and students.

"His individual maturity and dedication to Lynbrook High School set him apart from his fellow classmates," says principal Mike White.

"I cannot say enough about what a delightful, intelligent and special young man Veyom Bahl is."

As a student Bahl served for three years as a class officer, was a member of the Lynbrook Executive Council, maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average, wrote for the school newspaper and was active in a variety of community outreach organizations.

Following his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania this May, Bahl will travel to Mexico on a Fulbright scholarship.

"At the start of the year, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to graduate school, work or travel abroad," Bahl recalls.

"I kept my options open by applying to everything I could: graduate schools, work in the private sector and fellowships."

As a Fulbright scholar, he will work with the Instituto Mexicano de Investigacion Familiar y Poblacion (IMIFAP), or the Mexican Institute for Research on Families and Populations.

"My career goals as they have developed over the past four years have been veering toward more public service, public policy and public health," says Bahl.

"When I was designing my Fulbright proposal, it seemed appropriate for me to start down the path that I am passionate about."

Bahl's research will focus on how non-governmental organizations have influenced Mexican as well as national sexual education and AIDS prevention policies.

"Mexico has really been quite successful at preventing AIDS," says Bahl. "Their rates are significantly lower than the United States so I think there is a lesson to be learned from what Mexico has done with presumably fewer economic resources."

The Fulbright program, which was established in 1946, is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Since its inception, the program has provided more than 273,000 participants with the opportunity to observe political, economic, educational and cultural institutions, exchange ideas and embark on joint ventures that benefit the general welfare of the world.

John Lithgow, Renee Fleming, Thomas Pickering and Ankur Bahl, Veyom's older brother, are Fulbright scholars.

"My brother is a pretty incredible guy," says Bahl, who adds Ankur was part of his inspiration in applying for fellowships.

"He's done some incredible things; to be a Fulbright and then a Marshal scholar and have three graduate degrees by the age of 25, I think, is pretty incredible."

Ankur Veyom, who was also a graduate of Lynbrook, currently works as a dancer for Diversions, the national dance company of Wales.

Bahl also credits his parents as motivators.

"I think the fact that my parents were immigrants to this country and were still able to provide for their sons in the ways that they have [means] I am very much in their shadows and indebted to them," says Bahl.

Bahl's parents immigrated to the United States from India in the late '70s. In addition to his studies, Bahl devotes much of his time to community outreach programs, teaching at jump-roping camps and performing with Dhamaka, an all-male, South Asian dance troupe on campus.

"I made a bigger point of finding free time this year," says Bahl. "There is a certain element of trade-off that I've struggled with, but I think I eventually found it and was able to enjoy my senior year."

Looking back on his educational career, Bahl says the work ethic he developed at Lynbrook allowed him to succeed in the ways he has.

"The one teacher that had the most impact on me unfortunately passed away my junior year in high school," he says. "Her name was Arnetta Garcin."

Garcin was a teacher and student newspaper adviser at Lynbrook for 32 years before she died of a heart attack in 2002.

"She had endless faith in her students and constantly pushed them to understand the importance of communication, the basics of English grammar and writing techniques.

"I don't know if we understood it completely in high school, but now I see how important those skills are and I am indebted to her for having pushed that in her students."

After completing his research in Mexico, Bahl plans to return to the Bay Area and continue to work with international non-governmental organizations.