How My International Experiences in College Shaped My Future

If someone were to ask me about my time as a college student, I would say it was filled with more unforgettable experiences than I could have imagined. In 2015, I was awarded a Liberty Scholarship, an academic and financial needs-based scholarship. This scholarship allowed me to go to Drexel and have three very impactful international experiences.

Photograph from my time in Eswatini interning for World Vision through Drexel University’s Dornsife Global Development Scholar program.

I grew up in Philadelphia and did not have the opportunity to travel and explore other places. During my freshman year of college, I left the country for the first time. I was eager and excited as I prepared for an Alternative Spring Break Trip to Croix des Bouquets, Haiti.

Croix des Bouquets is a rural area in Haiti not that far from Port au Prince. While in Haiti, I participated in English classes and spent time with children at Love Orphanage. I came back from Haiti shocked that more people were not doing something to improve living conditions there. I then decided to become a Global Studies Major with minors in Public Health and Spanish. It expanded my world and perspectives.

For my first co-op, I wanted to have a longer immersive cross-cultural experience related to global health. This experience pushed me to apply as a Dornsife Global Development Scholar, a funded program that allows students to go to different countries in the Global South to work with the NGO World Vision. I was given the honor to be a Drexel Dornsife Global Development Scholar, spending three months interning for World Vision in Eswatini.

In Eswatini, I worked on the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) team in rural communities. My main project was focused on menstrual hygiene in schools, and promoting education and access to menstrual products. I engaged with community members at community meetings, met and interviewed students, talked to teachers, and worked with World Vision staff to listen to their voices and promote menstrual hygiene and education in schools and communities. Here, I learned about how many barriers and challenges are present in development work. I also learned the importance of working with the community and fostering partnerships in developmental projects.

I traveled to Costa Rica for the Health Care in Latin America program, which was my final international experience at Drexel. I was eager to go to Costa Rica because I wanted to develop my Spanish speaking skills. While there, I lived with a host family that spoke only Spanish, which allowed me to practice my Spanish every day. Even though it was definitely overwhelming at times, I stepped outside of my comfort zone and built strong relationships with my host family. I think my favorite part of that experience was learning about Costa Rican culture from my host mom and family. My host mom and I still stay in touch. In Costa Rica, I learned more about health care in vulnerable populations and different medical systems from a new perspective.

Experiences that expose us and allow us to engage in the world other than our own are the best and most impactful kind of experiences. They build skills, such as adaptability, cross-cultural competence, understanding, open-mindedness, communication, and so much more. This past April, I found out that I was a Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistantship) Finalist. I am excited to embark on my next international experience in Spain as an English teacher and run a girls’ leadership group this upcoming January.

My advice for anyone that has even thought about studying abroad is to do it. There are also ways that you can be globally engaged on your campus. Find those opportunities and step outside of your comfort zone because you don’t know what you are going to learn about yourself! As you saw, it completely changed my life trajectory, and I am forever grateful for that.

I graduated from Drexel University in June with my Bachelor of Arts in International/Global Studies and minors in Public Health and Spanish.