Office of Study Abroad

Majors: Communication and Media & East Asian Studies (Minor in Legal Studies)

Study Abroad Program: Brandeis in The Hague – Summer 2011

Current Job: Communications and External Relations Officer, Harvard Center for African Studies

Why did you originally choose to study abroad in The Hague? I did this program because it aligned with my Legal Studies minor and what I wanted to do after I graduated – something to do with international human rights. I eventually used one of the papers I wrote for the summer Brandeis in the Hague program for my graduate school and law school applications.

What have you been up to since graduation? After I graduated from Brandeis, I decided to do my Masters in International Relations and International Economics at Johns Hopkins University SAIS. Then I worked for an international health care nonprofit first before starting at Harvard doing international fundraising. Now, I use my undergraduate degree and graduate degree as a Communications and External Relations Officer at the Harvard Center for African Studies.

What lessons or skills did you learn from studying abroad that you still think about today or still impact you today on your current path? Although I was already an international student at Brandeis, studying abroad in the Netherlands taught me different lessons. I learned more about myself during this study abroad. To this day, I enjoy exploring different places and trying new things even if they seem mundane. For example, everyone rides a bike in the Netherlands so I also tried that mode of transportation. I found it exciting to browse the grocery stores to see what different types of food and drink that was enjoyed locally.

One memory from abroad that still feels like it happened yesterday: During our moot court competition, I remember not being a very confident public speaker and really wanted someone else to do the oral arguments as we were competing against masters and law students from across the world in this program. However, we had a team who prepped really hard together and were so motivated. We got to the final round and I remember being nervous but calm during the entire event. At the end of our oral arguments, the team and Professor Gaskins were so proud of us!

Your message to students thinking about studying abroad: Studying abroad while in college is a once in a lifetime experience. Take the opportunity to explore a new place, learn about a new country and culture, and expect the unexpected! No matter where you decided to study abroad, you will have an experience that is unique to you that you can remember for the rest of your life.