On September 12th, 2019, my eyes were opened to a magnitude of international opportunities as I attended the 2019 Education Abroad Expo at the Ohio Union. This expo was put on by the Office of International Affairs and was categorized as a Campus event.
My expectations going into this event were drastically different from my experience. In my time studying Swahili in college, I’ve been set on traveling to Uganda as part of Dr. Salome Fout’s Global May trip. Because this is a plan I’ve had for quite a while, I expected to attend the Expo and gain valuable information on other programs, but not information that I’d want to act on in any way. I was surprised by the vast array of programs (both OSU led and external) and areas of the world represented, as well as the fact that almost every major was well represented. A few programs specifically caught my eye (listed below).
Global May Uganda
The original program I’ve had my eye on; Global May Uganda allows students to explore themes of food security, women’s equality and national development, globalization and health while studying at the School for International Training in Kampala (the capital city of Uganda).
http://go.osu.edu/GlobalMayUganda
Global May Hungary
This program caught my interest due to both my Polish heritage and its historical focus. This trip takes place primarily in Hungary and Poland, some of the most captivating and important features of the trip being excursions to Auschwitz and the Schindler Museum.
http://go.osu.edu/GlobalMayHungary
CYA (College Year in Athens): Study in Greece
This program encourages American students to become better citizens of the world through semester, full academic year or summer study abroad in Greece.
http://cyaathens.org
Semester at Sea
Semester at Sea is an intriguing third-party program that invites students to spend a semester on a cruise ship, while receiving 12-15 credit hours’ worth of education and traveling to 8-10 countries per trip.
http://SemesterAtSea.org/apply
Japan- Public Health Perspectives
The final program I explored is a trip through the Public Health college to study at the University of Tokyo and visit culturally significant sites such as Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Minamata.
http://go.osu.edu/PublicHealthJapan
This event inspired a lot of excitement and anticipation for me, as I walked away with more programs in mind than I had originally expected. I also learned that most programs are far smaller (in terms of how many people attend) than I had previously thought. My previous thought that there must be a concrete Public Health component in a program in order for it to be applicable/beneficial for me is also incorrect. Having attended this event, I’ve realized that almost any trip can be applied to me as a public health major, even if I wouldn’t actually be taking public health courses. By just being immersed and existing as a person in another country’s culture, I would be able to make naturalistic observations of the factors which encourage or discourage good health in other societies.
By attending one of these trips, I hope to not only take courses to further my career, but also widen my academic perspective beyond The Ohio State University. Despite the fact that OSU is home to a wide array of students and cultural identities, learning in an unfamiliar atmosphere would push me out of my comfort zone, and hopefully impact my perspective as a public health professional down the road.