Jessica Lukasik
Fulbright Scholar
A cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy was
recently granted a Fulbright Scholarship to study marine economic
development in Mauritius during the 2014-2015 academic year.
Cadet Jessica Lukasik, a native of Lawrenceville, Ga., and member of the Class
of 2014, will pursue a master’s degree at the University of Mauritius. The
Government major plans to conduct a research project and create a
framework for a sustainable marine economic development model for
Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 1,200 miles off the
southeast coast of Africa.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange
program of the United States. Cadet Lukasik will represent the country as a
cultural ambassador while she is overseas, helping to enhance mutual
understanding between Americans and the people of Mauritius. The 21-year
old will join over 100,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumni who have
undertaken grants since the program began in 1948.
Lukasik’s research project will analyze available resources and space to examine interactions within the limited marine
space of tourism, shipping, aquaculture, and fishing industries. She plans to focus on how the input of other industries to
resource overexploitation, ecosystem degradation, and climate change affects Mauritian fisheries. The goal of the project
is to propose a marine spatial planning framework that will guide the use of the maritime resources these industries
require, so they can continue to provide economic development in Mauritius.
A story by1/c Jessica Lukasik:
My mother thought the world was too big to stay in one place; born in Washington, D.C. to an Armenian father
and a French-Canadian mother, she had a sense of being “from everywhere” that she instilled in me. From her, I learned
that an academic education is only a fraction of the learning process. Our family traveled globally and each place opened
my eyes. I became aware of not just the enormous beauty of the world, but also of poverty, political turmoil, ethnic
disputes, and inequalities on a local, national, and global scale. I was six years old when my parents took me off the beaten
path from a cruise to Jamaica to find myself amidst cardboard shanties that Jamaican people called home. At age ten my
grandpa told me stories of our family’s suffering in the Turkish genocide. I began to question my own quality of life.
Powers beyond my control had blessed me with luxuries and safety when poverty and war are prevalent in other nations. It
is within my power, however, to pursue a life of learning and develop skills and abilities that will help me alleviate the pain
of others.
I have always been driven to compete. From my first writing contests in grade school, to the battle for first chair in
orchestra, to my first triathlon, I loved tackling challenges. However, the experiences of my upbringing helped me develop
compassion. Those memories had shown me that the challenges others faced were more important than my own. Driven
by love for my country and an inspiration to do humanitarian work at home and abroad, I desired an opportunity to
integrate my competitive spirit with my concern for improving the lives of others. I joined the U.S. Coast Guard to serve
humanity. Public service has fulfilled my love of challenges and brought me closer to a global community committed to
saving lives and ending suffering.
My years at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) led to a deeper realization of my passion for addressing
economic development and environmental stewardship. Learning seamanship aboard the tall ship Eagle, sailing from
London to Iceland, and conducting fisheries patrols in the Marshall Islands led to my deep love and admiration for the raw
power of the sea. Rescuing stranded migrants fleeing to the sea from Cuba broadened my understanding of the
precarious relationship between homeland security and diplomacy. Studying the Holocaust in Oswiecim, Poland taught
me how ethical failures by military leaders can cause unspeakable tragedy. Each experience aroused my curiosity and
converged my interests in a path of service to others. On a humbling and empowering internship to Hong Kong, my
interests crystallized into a desire to be a public servant to my country. I saw how economic development had brought the
city material wealth, but at the expense of the environment. I wished to see its cultural splendor without pollution, and I
knew it would take collaborative brilliance of diverse minds to maintain the vitality of communities without environmental
contamination.
came into the CGA Honors Program entirely unaware of the opportunities available to me. I’d heard the names
“Truman,” “Marshall,” “Fulbright,” and “Rhodes” but had never taken the time to consider what they entailed, the work that
goes into applying for them. The CGA Honors Program opened my eyes to a world of new possibilities, and I’ve been lucky
enough to be granted one of the opportunities offered to its members. This summer, I’ll be departing to Mauritius, a small,
Sub-Saharan African island in the Western Indian Ocean, to study on a Fulbright Scholarship. I’ll be taking the “long way
around” before starting my more traditional Coast Guard career, but I’m delighted to imagine that when I return to the
United States after two years of study, I’ll have acquired knowledge and experiences that will make me a better civil
servant and leader.
Fulbright is study abroad program run by the U.S. Department of State that allows student researchers to propose
a project and course of study in the country of their choice in an effort to promote cultural and academic exchange. I
selected Mauritius as a country of study because it was where all my passions and academic and professional interests
converged. My classes at CGA aroused my interest in Africa, economic development, and environmental sustainability. My
summer experiences at sea inspired my desire not just to go to sea, but also to protect the sea itself. I’ve taken vigorous
interest in academic research, pursuing independent study courses during my 2/c and 1/c year. Fulbright, and the
potential for advanced study in Mauritius, would provide me an outlet for all these passions. With the encouragement of
my advisor and mentor, Dr. Alina Zapalska, I decided to apply for the grant.
After three years of scholarship selection, preparatory research, writing, and refining my essays, I submitted a
proposal to pursue a M.Sc. degree in Development Studies at the University of Mauritius (UoM) and to conduct a research
project that will focus on creating a sustainable marine economic development model for the fishing industry in Mauritius.
The project will analyze available resources and marine space to examine the impact of tourism, shipping, and aquaculture
industries on the fishing industry. Application for Fulbright, like any post-graduate scholarship, is demanding, and
application for Fulbright while maintaining my duties and activities as a cadet proved to be the greatest challenge I’ve ever
tackled. In preparing a resume, writing a research proposal, getting ready for interviews, and finding time to finish my
application, I was pushed to the limits of my intellectual abilities and stress-tolerance. On April 24, 2014, my hard work was
rewarded when the Fulbright Commission notified me that I had been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the
University of Mauritius and pursue my project.
I will carry out my project in conjunction with pursuit of a M.Sc. in Development Studies at UoM. By taking courses
such as Economics of Development, and Sustainable Development and Economics of Environment, I will study the
development policies, governance structure, and the current environmental policies and regulations in Mauritius. I will
seek collaboration with marine biology experts from institutions such as the Mauritius Institute for Oceanography and the
Albion Fisheries Research Centre to support my research at UoM. The proximity of UoM to Port Louis will provide
opportunity to consult with the government and Mauritius Coast Guard to receive first-hand information about existing
maritime sustainability issues in order to provide recommendations to stakeholders. I will integrate my professional
studies in Maritime Policy and Strategy and Public Policymaking, and analyze data and stakeholder input to propose the
framework and governance steps necessary to create a model for the fishing industry that can be used in Mauritius and by
the U.S. Coast Guard.
The USCG has already provided support through contact networks such as US AFRICA COMMAND and US
PACIFIC COMMAND. My project can also lead to a diplomatic connection among the institutions and the people of
Mauritius. Conducting research at UoM will advance my goal of becoming an expert in sustainable maritime economic
development. This experience will not only provide a pathway for future Coast Guard operations in the Indian Ocean and
partnerships with small island nations, but it will move me towards my long-term career goals by giving me regional
knowledge and the cultural immersion that prepare me to work for the State Department in the East-African and Indian
Ocean region once I retire from the USCG.
I dream of seeing prosperity develop in a sustainable way in the parts of the world where people suffer most. After
serving the missions of the USCG, my desire is to join the State Department and work in East Africa and the Indian Ocean.
The needs of impoverished and war- torn nations in Africa evoke my empathy and obligation to serve; the opportunities
for endless movement and learning within the region thrill me; and the beauty of its environment, coasts, and seas warms
my heart. The history of human suffering in Africa is deep-rooted, but its growth potential is enormous. Development and
humanitarian change are challenges I long to tackle.