Scholar Abroad 2008 Winners

Summer 2008 Scholar Abroad Winner: Kelly Wight

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Live a good life and in the end, it’s not the years in a life, it’s the life in the years.” This inspiring quote by Lincoln has become my personal motto, and as a result, I have come to realize that happiness in life is not about quantity, but quality. With such knowledge, I decided as a young woman that I was going to make the best of my life by being actively involved and truly experience life, instead of letting it pass me by. As a twenty-one year old at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, I often reflect back to my childhood and wonder what has contributed to my happiness and success today.

I was born and raised in the city of Pocatello, Idaho and am the youngest of five children. I was blessed with extremely supportive and encouraging parents, who recognized the importance of higher and continuing education and supported my decision to attend college. Thus, after graduating from high school, I moved to Provo where I began pursuing a degree in nursing. Throughout the past four years I have worked rigorously in order to be accepted into the College of Nursing and to excel and succeed academically. Along the way I have been blessed with numerous opportunities to lead and serve. I have been actively involved with the BYU chapter of NSCS and have served as the executive vice president and currently, as the chapter president. I also have the unique opportunity to teach as a TA in the BYU anatomy, cadaver lab. I am absolutely fascinated by the human body and have a passion for teaching and learning. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm with the students I teach. I have also served on the Utah Student Nurses’ Association Board, helping to promote nursing and providing interaction among nursing students in the state of Utah.

Currently, I am in my third semester of nursing school and preparing for a global nursing experience. I will be studying in Guayaquil, Ecuador this spring and I am looking forward to this life-altering experience. I hope that my elementary knowledge of nursing and my enthusiasm and happiness will make life a bit better for these humble people. I am also extremely anxious to learn and be taught by the people of Ecuador. I know this study abroad will contribute to the “life in my years” and I am looking forward to the adventures and experiences that lie ahead.

Read all about Kelly's experience on her blog

Spring 2008 Scholar Abroad Winner: Dana Hecht

Hi! My name is Dana Hecht, and I am from the University of Virginia. This upcoming spring semester I will be studying abroad through the International Honors Program’s “Health and Community” curriculum. This will allow me to travel to Switzerland, India, China and South Africa with a group of 32 other students from all across the United States.

The program commences at the World Health Organization in Geneva, where we will gain background knowledge on global health policy. In Bangalore and Kerala, I will be learning about Aryuvedic health care methods, and in Beijing I will get to explore traditional Chinese medicine. When in Cape Town, I will be focusing on the societal impact of the Apartheid on community health, as well as the impact of the current HIV and AIDS epidemic. In addition to field trips, guest speakers, and classroom sessions, I will be conducting independent research to further my knowledge in one of these areas of study.

Being able to have this experience is an incredible privilege to me, on both academic and personal grounds. As a human biology major I am deeply interested in learning about the interplay between societies and their peoples’ health, and can’t wait to have this first-hand experience in each of these exciting destinations! Having been brought up in a culturally diverse family has advantaged me with a heightened enthusiasm for becoming knowledgeable about, as well as spreading awareness and acceptance of the beliefs, values and practices of those who belong to different ethnicities. I am forever indebted to my upbringing for this passion of mine.

I am most interested in global public health as an area of study and as a career path because I know health to be something of fundamental value to all people worldwide. Regardless of our varying approaches to health care cross-culturally, what makes us more similar than not is our equal appreciation for its benefits. While abroad I will have the unique opportunity to highlight our similarities while also understanding and respecting our differences. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you!

Read all about Dana Hecht Scholar Abroad experience