As her Fulbright comes to an end, Fulbrighter Alyssa Botelho shares with us her reflection of a transformative year in the Azores:
«I truly cannot overstate my gratitude for Fulbright Portugal and the profound impact this experience has had on my life. Looking back on these last eight months, I hardly know where to begin.
The Azores gifted me the space to create, a natural environment that allowed me to connect more deeply with myself and the world around me, friendships that broadened my perspective, and new collaborators in the film industry. Through this experience, I also gained a deeper appreciation for Portuguese culture and a greater understanding of the Azorean-American experience.
During the final months of my Fulbright, my fiancé Sean and I had the opportunity to travel throughout mainland Portugal following the Fulbright Forum in Lisbon, visiting Coimbra, Aveiro, and Porto. We also spent time on Terceira and Pico, including a stay at the Museu Marítimo Construção Naval, which honors master boatbuilder José Mello. Everywhere we went, we felt surrounded by stories—of resilience, innovation, exploration, and community. Portugal’s history feells alive, not only in museums and monuments, but in the people we’ve met along the way.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my Fulbright was the opportunity to build meaningful creative partnerships moving forward. I worked with Pedro Amaral de Azevedo Teixeira to submit a proposal to the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund. If awarded, we will collaborate on a historical fiction short film through a week-long residency in Newport, Rhode Island, further strengthening cultural connections between Portugal and the United States.
In my final month, Sean and I worked with the São Miguel-based production company Cão de Fila to produce a proof of concept for my project, The Last Frontier. The film is built upon the history preserved and shared with me by Sérgio Rezendes, whose generosity, guidance, and enthusiasm have been instrumental throughout my Fulbright experience. Beyond inspiring the project itself, Sérgio also provided invaluable logistical support for production and has been one of the greatest champions of both my work and my time in the Azores.
I am deeply grateful to Pedro Gaipo and João Dutra of Cão de Fila for their incredible work and for assembling an outstanding team. Together with actors Jack Tomlinson, who traveled from New York and Anabela Almeida from São Miguel, Sean Campbell who served as our director of photography, and our Fulbright friends Champ Turner and Priya Talreja providing valuable production support, we brought to life a story inspired by Azorean history: following the 1917 bombing of Ponta Delgada, a fearful Azorean woman kidnaps an American serviceman, believing him to be a German spy.
Over the coming months, we will complete post-production and submit the film to festivals throughout Portugal and the United States while continuing to pursue opportunities to develop the project into a feature film. It is exciting to know that a project born from my Fulbright experience will continue to grow long after the grant period has ended.
While I’m eager to return soon to shoot the feature version of The Last Frontier, I am equally excited about opportunities to screen in Portugal and continue building relationships with the people and institutions that welcomed me so warmly.
I am prouder than ever to be Portuguese-American, and I will carry Portugal—and especially the Azores—with me wherever I go. More than anything, this Fulbright has shown me that my relationship with Portugal does not end here…it is only the beginning.
Até à próxima!»
– Até à próxima, dear Alyssa, we wish you the best for the future!
*Alyssa Botelho was a Fulbright / Azores Regional Government research student, 2025/2026