Social impact can encompass a wide range of ideas and projects that positively affect the communities we live in. We are delighted to showcase Fulbright alum working on education research projects that are contributing to a better world.
By Jordan Andress (Fulbright Intern, Summer 2025)
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Silvana Watson – Professor of Special Education at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia
Fulbright alumna, Dr. Silvana Watson, completed research at University of Minho near Braga, Portugal in 2014 with the support of a Fulbright grant. Formerly a Portuguese teacher, she previously completed a degree in Portuguese Language and Literature at the Universidade Catolica de Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil. Later, she earned her master’s and doctoral degree in special education at the University of New Mexico, with a concentration on bilingual education and learning disabilities.
We interviewed Silvana about her experience as a Fulbright grantee and her time in Portugal, and how it has impacted her life and career in education.[1]
Can you describe your Fulbright experience?
I went to Braga in Northern Portugal in 2014 and I lived there for the semester. I worked with the people from the University of Minho to research math. To tell you the truth, I wanted to investigate dyslexia in the Portuguese language, but they were more interested in math, and so I said “okay, I’ll do it. It’ll be a learning opportunity.” So, I started researching the types of errors, the types of pre-skills that are necessary for whatever skills they were measuring. A couple of professors at the university developed a math test, so I was able to look at those and look at what kinds of mistakes the students were making. We did not just look at if they were right or wrong, but why were they right or wrong. What was the nature of the problem. I can’t remember how many kids we had, but quite a few from several elementary schools around the area. And I learned a lot by examining and trying to figure out what kind of mistakes they made – I mean not just what kinds of mistakes, but why those mistakes were made. What was the nature of the mistake? By that, I mean what real skills were they missing?
Could you tell me what aspects of Portuguese culture left the strongest impression on you?
Well, I’m originally from Brazil, but I had never been to Portugal. I mean I went just before my Fulbright. I went for a special education conference at the University of Minho, and it was exciting. As far as the culture, because I lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I had friends from Portugal, and in Brazil we have Portuguese people as well. But like I said I had never been to Portugal. So, it was unique for me to experience that culture, even though it was similar to mine, but it was also different. It also helped me understand a lot of traditions that the Brazilians have that I didn’t really know where they came from, but I could see that Portugal had those traditions to. And it was really good for me to learn more about my culture, the Brazilian culture and the Portugues culture. It was a good thing for me to understand the importance of understanding other cultures.
How did your Fulbright experience impact your long-term goals and what you’re doing today?
My interest in the beginning was more with reading, but they made me look more at the math foundation skills, which was important because as the special education teacher, I needed to know that also. Not just about the kids making mistakes, but why they were making mistakes. From that I wrote some articles, and because of that I got interested in narratives. I just recently went to the Azores to look at the narratives of children who speak Portuguese and how they narrate their lives – their own stories. So that was interesting. I can’t really publish that yet, but it was interesting to find out about it. And my interests now – if I don’t retire soon – I would like to see about the kids that are in Boston, I mean in the Boston area. And see how the bilingual Portuguese kids are telling their own narratives so that would be something. I would also like to compare them with the Brazilian kids.
What advice would you offer to future Fulbrighters going to Portugal?
I think you’ve got to go with an open mind. Be willing to try different things, be willing to be part of the community so you can learn about the community, the language, and the culture. And I think it’s also important to explore while you’re there. What I did during my time in Portugal was that I worked for three weeks intensively and then took a week off. I took a bus and went to different towns to explore the country. And people would ask me, “are you going by yourself?” and I said “yes, I’m going by myself. Who am I going with?” I had to do it because I wanted to learn more about Portugal. For example, one of the sights that the Portuguese talk so much about is Fatima. So, I did take a bus and went to Fatima and spent two or three days there to find out more about it. I went to different places just by taking the bus and trying to see and getting to meet different people and that’s what I think is worth noting. Like I said at the beginning, I had a mindset that I wanted to do reading. I mean I always had an interest in both reading and math, but I really wanted to look at reading in the Portuguese language, and he said “no, we’re working on this,” and I said, “no problem, let’s work it.” So, have an open mind and try, because we should be trying to learn different things, not just that little bit that we already know.
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Silvana’s time in Portugal continues to leave a lasting impact on her professionally and personally. Thank you for sharing your story, Silvana! We appreciate your continued impact on education and research!
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About the Author:
Jordan Andress is a current Master’s in Public Affairs and Master’s in International Affairs dual-degree candidate at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, Indiana. Prior to graduate school, he served for five years as a public-school teacher in Chandler, Arizona. He is currently a summer intern at the Fulbright Commission in Lisbon, through the Study in Portugal Network (SiPN) internship program, supporting the Commission’s work and operations through alumni outreach, communications, and institutional engagement.
[1] This interview, conducted over Zoom, has been edited for clarity, grammar, and flow while preserving the original intent of the speaker’s responses.