I remember debating whether to fill out an application and my roommate convinced me to try, and we worked all night on the application and submitted it. Shortly after, I received an email inviting me to an interview, and then I was accepted!
During this trip, the other students and I explored the country and learned about how Malawi's hospitals and laboratories work compared to ours back home in the United States. Along with the educational part of the program, there was an amazing cultural exchange. We traveled all over the country and spent our weekends going on safaris, to the lake and hiking in the mountains. When I returned to the United States, I knew I wanted to go back to Malawi. I reached out to one of the professors from my study abroad trip who ran a research lab in Malawi, and under his guidance, I began work on a malaria transmission research project. During this period I grew closer with my Malawian colleagues in the laboratory and learned some of the local language, called Chichewa.
This year, I have the exciting opportunity to travel back to Malawi with the Fulbright program! I will be spending nine months there learning more about the culture and malaria. I hope that the work that I do will help the doctors and nurses save more lives in Malawi. I am so excited to share my journey with you all!
