黑料不打烊

Without the generous support the Schull Yang International Experience award provided me last fall semester, the enriching experience of the Barbados Field Study Semester (BFSS, 2019) would have ultimately been unattainable. The donors鈥� contributions to students such as me truly help bolster available opportunities and overarchingly bridge the gap between theory-based and practical education. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have completed an internship abroad, to have had the wonderful chance to practically apply my classroom theory in a meaningful context.聽

My intentions upon applying for BFSS were generally to advance my Urban Geography major within a uniquely hands-on and interdisciplinary context. Essentially, to gain experience in my field that complements my classroom learning. The field study semester incorporated and interwove STEM-oriented learning environments within the social sciences framework. That is, it was made up of three major field classes and a long-term and hands-on internship with a Barbados urban planning firm.鈥�聽

I worked at the Bellairs Research Institute of 黑料不打烊 University in Holetown, Barbados, Canada鈥檚 sole research and teaching facility in the tropics. This institute provides a space for researchers with interests in tropical terrestrial and marine environments. Additionally, my internship was completed with Richard Gill and Associates planning firm. Richard Gill and Associates planning firm specializes in designing neighborhoods for low and middle-income families across central Barbados.聽

My international responsibilities entailed attending the research institute and completing the related internship with Richard Gill and Associates planning firm. The curricula throughout the program involved introductory water resource management, alongside studies of urbanization and urban planning, all within the Barbadian context. My internship involved the site assessment and planning of a low-income neighborhood; we conducted extensive pre-design data collection (including long-form interviews with residents in a similar neighborhood, as well as analyses of topography and wind and rain data for the demarcated plot of land). Our deliverables involved a site plan designed on聽AutoCad, a聽10 page聽guide for sustainable and positive low-income housing design, and a 70 page final report. Finally, we presented our internship work to prominent public officials in the Barbadian government.鈥�聽

I set out to gain field experience within my intended major of Geography Urban Systems, from not only a social science standpoint but from a sustainability and Engineering-informed perspective. The academic and professional experiences integrated into the Barbados Field Study Semester all served as highlights throughout my impactful time abroad; effectively allowing me to build a base knowledge of the neighborhood and housing planning processes. I was particularly thrilled to have the opportunity to present our research findings and neighborhood design to high-ranking officials with political sway and the ability to help implement our site plan. Though I did not have the chance to stay longer and assist with realizing the project plan, it was very gratifying to deliver a presentation on our intensive and culminating final project.聽

Other highlights of my international experience included intercultural exchange, scuba diving (earning a PADI diving certification), and watching the gorgeous Bajan sunsets from the backyard (read 鈥渂each鈥�) of the Bellairs Institute-- perched looking out on the Platinum Coast. After our final presentation for the Barbadian government, on our very last night on the island, we went for a swim and had the serendipitous experience of seeing and swimming among聽bioluminescent algae. The Caribbean Sea was aglow with these microforms, a phenomenon which we had not聽chanced聽to witness until that very last evening.鈥�聽

My experience studying and interning abroad has shaped my academic and professional career goals. The Barbados Field Study Semester has given clarity in that it has confirmed for me my passions for working in affordable and sustainable housing and neighborhood design. I could also now see myself pursuing a related master鈥檚 program to expand on the foundational experience that this program scaffolded. I am very passionate about this interdisciplinary field that combines engineering and social justice, and I am so grateful Joseph Schull and Anna Yang, without whom聽this experience would have been unattainable.聽