Emily Pender
About My Study Abroad Program
Major/Minor: Psychology, B.S. and Economics, B.A. with Medicine, Literature, and Culture Minor
Program: SIT Kenya: Global Health and Human Rights
Location: Kisumu, Kenya
Email: empender@live.unc.edu
Term: Spring 2019
Why did you choose to study abroad and how did you select your program?
I was excited to travel and live in a new culture and learn from the people that I interacted with. As it was my first time leaving the country, I was a little nervous, but also excited to learn about health and rights in an amazing context.
What did you learn about yourself?
I was able to adjust and lean into the culture. I was most surprised by my newfound appreciation for learning the language of the place that I am traveling to, as I found learning Swahili to be so valuable.
What is one of your favorite memories from your program?
Taking a boat tour of the Nile River in Jinja, Uganda and seeing the source of Nile was amazing!
What advice do you have for future study abroad students?
Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
Would you do it again?
For sure!
How were your classes abroad different than if you would have taken them at UNC?
My academics in Kisumu were much more experiential than at UNC. We learned in the classroom but applied to real-life scenarios, such as when we did action research with village elders at Usoma Village.
Memories
