IT was an honour to attend the final round of the 10th Annual Dawn in Education National Spelling Bee Competition, on November 18. As a sponsor of this event for the last five years, the US Embassy in Islamabad is proud of how popular the event has become with students and families throughout Pakistan. Students are the future of the nation, and anyone who watched the finale or read about the inspiring competitors in Dawn knows that Pakistan can look forward to a bright future.

As I mentioned in my remarks last month, the United States is a committed supporter of educational opportunities such as the Spelling Bee, that help foster and recognise outstanding students. We also have a range of the US Government-funded exchanges and programmes, and we welcome the Spelling Bee participants, and all Pakistani students, to pursue these opportunities for study abroad.

Each year, the US invests more in our Fulbright Programme in Pakistan than in any other country in the world. This year alone, we will send more than 1,200 Pakistanis to America’s best universities for a variety of short-term and degree-earning programmes.

Now is the perfect time to consider these programmes. The Department of State is recruiting students for the one-semester Global Undergraduate Exchange Programme in Pakistan (Global UGRAD-Pakistan), the Study of the US Institutes for Student and Women Leaders, and the Summer Sisters Exchange programme. Whether you are interested in one of these programmes, the Fulbright scholarship, a short-term study programme, or one of the many cultural and educational events we host during the year, please visit our website (http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pakistan.usembassy) for information about all of our programmes.

Once more, let me congratulate all the regional and national champions for their hard work to reach the final round of the 2014 Dawn in Education Spelling Bee. The US Embassy is proud to have sponsored this competition, and we look forward to showcasing and supporting additional students in the future.