What is your study away plan? Would you please describe your program?
Through the School for International Training (SIT), I will be studying away in Nepal and India Fall 2020, my program is called Nepal and India: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples .
This program focuses on three avenues: migration, identity, and resilience. By implementing homestays, excursions, and by bringing community activists, professionals, and locals into the classroom, this program aims to illuminate contemporary Tibetan and Himalayan society, arts, hardships, religion, and sciences. Logistically, for the first 3 months, I will be traveling between Nepal and India, and for the last month, I will be responsible for conducting an independent research project.
What scholarship(s) or other funding have you received? How are these sources helping make your plans possible?
I am honored and humbled to share that I have received the Fund for Education Abroad Scholarship (FEA), the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, and an SIT Scholarship; together, these three scholarships make study away a possibility for me. In particular, I would like to shine light onto the FEA Scholarship, and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. These scholarships not only provide me with financial support but also provides me with supportive resources I may need while abroad, and introduces me to a network of fellowships, alumni, and professionals who can help me with future career aspirations.
What advice would you have for other students who would like to receive a study away scholarship or even maybe think they will not be able to afford to study away?
For those who are hesitant about pursuing a study away opportunity whether it’s because of financial or personal obstacles, my advice to you is to reach out to the Center for International and Cultural Education (CICE). The hardest part of my study away process was simply reaching out and asking for mentorship, once I did, my perception of study away changed. In regards to receiving a study away scholarship, my advice to others is to write the best personal statement(s) you can. Speaking for myself, I found that my most impactful personal statements not only included statements and experiences that make me a unique individual (identities) but also included how these unique experiences have empowered me, and how I hope to carry out these unique experiences into my career aspirations. With that being said, writing a personal statement is not easy, I recommend reaching out to those you trust for peer review and for brainstorming.
What are some of your other activities or interests? How is study away a part of the overall picture for you, given your various interests?
Outside of the classroom, I enjoy meeting new people, reading, and exploring new places. For these reasons, I am fascinated with my study abroad curriculum with SIT.
What are your future plans? How do you imagine that studying away will contribute to reaching your goals?
By using the knowledge on the intersection between environmental justice, immigration, human geography, and public policy, I aspire to illuminate the environmental and social injustices of our time. In particular, I hope to play a role in implementing both environmental and immigration policies that transparently take into consideration the well beings and the voices of communities of color, indigenous communities, and immigrant families. It is this aspiration that drove me to select my SIT Nepal program. I believe my study away program will help me achieve future aspirations because it gives me the opportunity to understand and connect with displaced communities (similar to mine) as well as teach me important research and ethics skills. I believe my study away program will help me become a better advocate for communities other than mine.
What is one thing you hope to learn or experience while studying away, and also one fun activity or personal interest you hope to pursue?
I am excited to learn a new language (Tibetan)! and getting the chance to live in another country. A goal of mine once I get to Nepal is to volunteer or work with a non-profit organization there.