Who Are Fellows?

---

Who Are Fellows? A Reflection from My Own Experience

When I first became a fellow, I thought it was a learning opportunity, a space to grow, explore, and understand systems from the ground level. I believed a fellowship would be different from a typical job. It would be structured, guided, and designed for both impact and personal development.

But as I started experiencing the reality, my understanding of “who a fellow is” began to change.

In theory, fellows are learners. In practice, we often function like full-time employees, sometimes without the same clarity, boundaries, or recognition.

One of the first things I noticed was communication. Being called after 8 PM for work-related matters became normal. It made me question: Is this expected? Is this professional? In many workplaces, there are boundaries around time, especially after working hours. But in a fellowship, those boundaries often feel blurred. Since we are “learners,” there is an unspoken expectation to always be available.

Sundays, too, don’t always feel like rest days. There are calls, follow-ups, or tasks that quietly enter what is supposed to be personal time. It creates a sense that the role is not just demanding, but undefined.

That brings me to another important challenge: unclear roles.

As fellows, we are told to take initiative, explore, and adapt. While that sounds empowering, it can also lead to confusion. At times, it becomes difficult to understand where learning ends and responsibility begins. Are we here to observe, to support, or to lead? The answer often changes depending on the situation.

Over time, this lack of clarity starts to feel like we are filling gaps rather than following a structured learning journey.

And that’s where the biggest question comes in: If we are working like full-time employees, managing responsibilities, attending calls beyond working hours, and staying engaged even on Sundays, then what truly makes this a fellowship?

This is not to say that the experience is entirely negative. Being a fellow has taught me resilience, adaptability, and how to navigate uncertainty. I have learned how systems function in real life, not just in theory. I have interacted with people, handled responsibilities, and grown in ways that a classroom could never offer.

But at the same time, it has also made me reflect on the importance of boundaries, clarity, and respect for time.

A fellowship should be a space where learning and contribution go hand in hand, not a space where expectations are undefined. Fellows are not just extra hands to complete work; they are individuals who have entered the program to grow, question, and understand.

From my experience, being a fellow means living in that in-between space, between learning and working, between structure and ambiguity, between opportunity and challenge.

So, who are fellows?

We are learners navigating real-world responsibilities.
We are contributors without always having clear boundaries.
We are individuals trying to grow, while also figuring out where to draw the line.

And maybe the real learning is not just about the system we work in, but also about understanding our own limits, our voice, and what we believe is fair.

Because being a fellow is not just about adapting to the system, it’s also about learning when to question it.