Programs Abroad:
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Penn Global Seminars (PGS): Human Rights, Forced Migration, and Education, Travel to Jordan
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Penn Summer Abroad (PSA): Penn in Berlin & Rotterdam, Germany and the Netherlands
Ask me about...
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My abroad experience
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Going from an experience abroad directly to an internship abroad
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Finding funding for my abroad experiences through the Levi Travel Fellowship, the Kleinman Energy Award, and a RealArts@Penn Prize
My Experience Abroad:
As someone who is an IR major, but wants to eventually practice law, and does not have a lot of experience with educational perspectives, Dr. Doherty-Sil, Professor Chang-Muy, and Dr. Ghaffar-Kucher all showed me how I can create a foundation for myself to move forward in any of these three fields - or how I can learn to manage the intersections between those fields. Moreover, by centering the course around three perspectives in regards to the larger themes of refugees and forced migration, it helped me relate to the material and navigate the complexities of the issues, theories, and laws.
Before this course, I always imagined myself flailing trying to find a job of any kind the minute I graduated Penn. The thought made me nauseous, especially with the stress of preparing for applying to law school. Entering this PGS course, I brought with me my underlying aspiration of entering into the field of international law. To be honest, I didn’t fully understand what makes up international law. Law has always interested me. I like creating arguments and strategies. I am detailed oriented and I love writing and reading. From an international perspective, I have been fortunate to have had my family raise me with travel and feeling connected to my international community as a foundation upon which I could build my self-perception as a multi-ethnic individual. However, besides that, I really only knew that I would have to take another test to practice some kinds of international law. Coming out of this course, I feel that I can stand upon that foundation with quiet confidence in regards to continuing down the path of practicing international law. Nonetheless, in addition to that foundation, I am excited about the different kinds of domestic law I can practice here in the States. In turn, from listening to the talk at the University of Jordan law clinic and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), I now look forward to discovering what lies ahead for me in law.
Other Highlights:
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On both of my study abroad trips, we met with various departments within the UN. Having the opportunity to see how what we learned in class translated into actual policy and UN campaigns showed me the value in creating a strong, research-based foundation.
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Another highlight on my trip to Jordan centered around our participation in cultural activities. We had the wonderful experience of being in Jordan during Ramadan, which made our trip have a special connection to the people we met. To be able to connect with people from another part of the world, while they are experiencing a spiritual and religious tradition, added another dimension to our trip that I did not even expect!
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One more highlight from my experience abroad was my summer internship after my first study abroad. The study abroad in Berlin and Rotterdam allowed me the opportunity to hop over to London for my internship at an international documentary production agency. Without Penn's resources, grants, and scholarships, I would have never been able to experience such a transformative time in my life.
