I’ve moved countries three times, and each move changed which language I lived in. I was born in the Republic of Benin, a small country in West Africa, and schooled in French there through ninth grade. In tenth grade, I switched to a Nigerian school, where the curriculum was in English. In 2018, I left…
Hola España!!
Staying in Lisbon has been everything I had hoped for. The people, the food, the overall culture. Along with getting to know Portugal and all it has to offer, it is hard to resist the beauty of its neighboring country as well, Spain!! I have traveled to Barcelona before and that was when I fell…
Reflections upon Returning Home from Oxford
Well, I’m back. After an eight hour plane ride (much easier than the one to Heathrow), I made it home. I’m glad to be back, but I’m so enormously grateful for my trip to Oxford. Something I’m especially appreciative of is my expanded world view. I feel like I have a much greater understanding of…
Oxford Adventure and Final Weeks in London
During one of the last weekends here, I had the opportunity to travel to Oxford for a day trip. Getting to see its famous historical spires rising up against the sky felt like stepping right onto a classic movie set. One funny thing I’ve noticed, both here and pretty much all throughout England with its…
More Than I Expected
Looking back on my time in Korea, it is honestly hard to put the entire experience into words. I came into this program excited to live somewhere new, gain internship experience, and learn more about Korean culture. I expected to have a great summer, but I did not expect this experience to mean as much…
So long Suriname
During my time in Suriname, I truly learned what public health threats were evident within the nation of Suriname and how to tackle those issues both for Suriname and the United States as well. Issues like health access which are directly tied to other issues like transportation, were eye-opening to witness firsthand. It was my…
Suriname vs USA
Being in Suriname was a far different experience compared to being in the US, let alone Pittsburgh. For one there is not a uniform bus system in which you can safely travel anywhere freely. In Pittsburgh we have the PRT system which makes it a lot easier to travel back and forth around the city….
Community in Suriname
Finding community was a different experience in Suriname. As I had known a couple people within the program who like me were Public Health majors within the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, however, even with that I had to go beyond and make connections with the communities there. During our time in Suriname,…
Difference in Culture in Suriname
In Suriname I felt like the people were more warming and easier to engage in conversation with. I think sometimes in the United States, people tend to stay to themselves and won’t always be willing to engage in conversation. It was a different feeling having that change immediately with such little time to adjust. Although…
Great Times in the Tetons
Looking back on my time in Wyoming, I am most grateful for the opportunity to spend time in such a beautiful place while using the class as an opportunity to expand my creative horizons and explore new things. Before this program, I thought of myself as strictly a prose writer. I was interested in poetry,…