Semester Reflection!

Wow, it is hard to believe that we’re writing end of semester reflections right now—where did the time go? Even though we’ve still got a few weeks until our departure, I feel ready and excited to start this important work. Andrew has been a great partner already, and our research is coming along smoothly. Meeting with Linda Paul as a stakeholder was such a treat because she provided valuable insight into her experience working on GBV and into some of the challenges that researching such a sensitive topic can come with. She explained that some people might not want to talk about it, and it might feel so embedded in society that it is impossible to fix or change or have any kind of impact on. I think that is what I am most worried about—finally getting to Zambia and realizing GBV is even more complex and interconnected than I previously predicted. I think that is why I’m so happy that we are teaming up with Cornell and making something tangible out of our work.

This semester I undoubtedly learned a lot about Zambia. I have a greater understanding about their sports, traditional music, their government, and what people might wear to a wedding. While I think many of the things I will come to know and appreciate about Zambia can only be found once I am in country, I feel appreciative that we got a balanced introduction into the study-able parts of the country.

I also learned a lot about myself through this course. I think we all hold biases and while it’s easy to say that you’re self-aware and know your “blind spots”, it’s another thing to force yourself to go deep and articulate them to a room full of strangers. That being said, I think being able to open up on a deeper level to the people I’m going to be living and working with is an incredible start to what will be some very close friendships. I am very excited to start making memories with everyone and experience such a new place firsthand.

As a final note, I want to thank Tatyana and the teaching team for a great semester. I feel a million times more confident that I can tackle whatever obstacles come my way while I’m in country and that things will be alright. I feel well prepared for something totally unknown, which is a special spot to be in. Additionally, I know that if some things don’t go the way I planned or if meetings get cancelled or a car breaks down, I feel ready to just go with the flow and try again. Though I will be studying a tough topic for the summer, I am ready to bring productivity, ambition, and optimism to this project and to my time in Zambia. To not do so would be a waste of an incredible opportunity. With that, I’m on my way to an incredible summer with incredible people to do some work. Let it begin!