In my Ethical Reasoning course last Spring, I read many novels about foreigners going to new countries expecting to learn about another culture, but ultimately revealing their own through comparison. Similarly, as I defended my own beliefs or explained prevailing American sentiments to my students, I was able to solidify and articulate my own values, which I consider the greatest takeaway from the summer.

I left the program with a strong sense of attachment to its mission, its community, and its physical setting. Thanks to independent weekend trips and field trips organized within the program, I was able to see parts of the surrounding region (within Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as neighboring Croatia) in a way that I doubt I would have been able to as a tourist. This landscape and the setting in Mostar often moved me to reflect on who I was as a high school student. As I had attended a United World College high school (in Wales) and the MSYP program was hosted at the United World College in Mostar, there were many elements woven into the program that triggered memories from my “former self” pre-Harvard. As a result, I spent a lot of time reflecting on how I had and was evolving, was reminded of my younger self’s outlook and motivations, and ended the program feeling newly centered and energized for the future. Regardless of where my career takes me, be it into filmmaking or journalism or teaching or something else, I hope to retain this feeling of deep connection that I was fortunate to find through my work with MSYP.

It’s interesting to think how one experience, can change what you once thought was set in stone. I have always been passionate about being a doctor, so much so that I never once questioned that there was another path out there that might be better to walk down. This changed after taking the study abroad course in Kenya. By talking to various professionals working in different NGOs, low resource hospitals such as Sagam, and professors such Dr. Burke who are involved in both public health and medical practice, I realized that there is more to being a doctor then simply prescribing medications.

I wanted to pursue this summer internship at the OECD because I’m most likely going to be an Economics concentrator, and wanted to see what it’s like to work at an international organization with an economic focus. I worked specifically with the Inclusive Growth team in the Sercretary-General’s Office, and worked closely with some very exciting work on inclusive economic growth in cities. It was refreshing to be in a professional environment where people genuinely believed in the human value of the work that they were doing. I came to think a lot about what I want from my professional life in the future—I’ve seen that it really matters that you are passionate about what you do, and I hope to eventually have a job where I can feel like the work that I do is truly meaningful.

My interest in human health, and in how human health is shaped by evolution, has been deepened and expanded. As a result, I feel reinvigorated to continue not only my pre-medical studies but also my coursework in my concentration. The benefits to me personally are equally great. I now speak and understand Spanish much more confidently than I did before my study abroad experience. I have learned that it is possible to balance academic, social, and personal responsibilities, especially with the more relaxed lifestyle in Mexico as compared to the lifestyle of most Harvard students. I so much appreciated the Mexican lifestyle that I plan to allot more time for relaxation and socialization in my schedule when I return to Harvard.

This course brought me immense perspective, experience, and knowledge in the workings and realities of global health in a developing nation. I have decided to further incorporate global health into my future course work, particularly in the business aspect of it. I am now quite interested in how exactly good ideas can be turned into plans and ultimately actions, a process which is almost always easier said than done. Regarding future career plans, I was always interested in medicine, but I had never seriously considered pursuing a career in global health. I am now finding a career path that allows me to bridge the gap between traditional clinical medicine and global health medicine.

Those first few days wandering through the streets of Brussels, though, I began to adjust. I began to relish the thrill of turning a new corner, seeing a fresh piece of art, and tasting a new cuisine. Anxieties about what I had packed—is my passport still in my bag? Where is my camera? Didn’t I have a few more euro in my wallet?— faded as hostels began to feel less hostile and more like home. Not only did I begin to feel comfortable as I explored an entirely foreign place by myself, but I began to discover one of the best parts of travelling: the people you meet. I made friends from Britain, Korea, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Austria, Spain, Mexico, Ireland, and just about everywhere else. Travelling alone became a genuine opportunity for cross-cultural connect and education, not the luxurious form of solitary confinement I had maybe expected.

When I came into this internship at United Nations Watch, I expected to be given simple tasks to accomplish and a low level of responsibility, as most interns are expected to receive. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the high degree of responsibility and autonomy that the organization granted to its interns. In particular, I got the opportunity to write and deliver a speech to the United Nations on a topic that’s very near and dear to my heart: women’s rights across the globe. I am confident in saying that I really experienced the culture of Geneva, and I really felt like a local by the end of my two months in Geneva. Geneva became a home to me, and I made so many amazing friends with the students at University of Geneva and surrounding universities, and also with other people whom I met through those people. I would like to thank David Rockefeller for making this eye-opening and amazing experience possible for me. This was the best summer experience I’ve ever had. Both the internship itself and also the experience of living abroad were amazing experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything else in this world.