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Conducting research at Yale this summer was exciting for a plethora of reasons. From the world-renowned libraries to the esteemed faculty to my glorious studio apartment in downtown New Haven, I was prepared for a vigorous summer of learning, academic discipline, and meaningful bioethics research. While these expectations were fulfilled to a considerable extent, the most remarkable dimension of my summer transcended the confines of the campus, the ivy-covered walls, and the pages of law books—it resided within the diverse and extraordinary individuals who shared the program with me.
The program I was selected to attend boasted itself as an international research program drawing applicants from dozens of countries and inviting many international fellows to campus for the intensive 7-week program. Of the 30 participants that summer, 20 hailed from different countries ranging from China to Israel to Brazil to Singapore, and many more in between. I knew of this great geographic diversity heading into the program; however, I was astonished by its ability to radically impact my learning that summer.
For many of my fellow participants, this marked their first visit to the United States. Their perceptions were shaped by stories and gleanings from media and television, encompassing concerns about gun violence to a curious fascination with the portion sizes of American meals. I found these preconceptions simultaneously intriguing from my vantage point as an American and somewhat disconcerting, highlighting how starkly the United States is portrayed abroad. While I am no stranger to America’s shaky international reputation, it was both compelling and sobering to hear these perspectives articulated by my colleagues throughout the summer.
As the program progressed, I enjoyed my role as a pseudo-ambassador, offering what I could by way of advice and recommendations. Every weekend we would catch the MetroNorth train to New York City to try new restaurants, explore different thrift stores, and participate in the most cliché tourist activities that I grew to enjoy so much. While my entire program was spent in the United States, my new friends inspired within me a keen interest to travel outside of the country and experience parts of the world I had previously written off. After all, they rolled the dice and decided to spend 7 weeks in a foreign country knowing nobody, and none of them regretted that experience in the end.
By the end of the summer, I had decided against going straight through to law school after graduation. After some contemplation and a lot of self-reflection, I decided to take a gap year (gasp!) and apply to programs that would allow me to explore the world. I will always have my academic interests in law and political science, though I may not always have my health and a quasi-safe world to explore. While I am still enthusiastically pursuing a career in law, I have decided to use what I learned that summer to shake up my plans, strike while my curiosity is hot, and enjoy the splendor of countries I have yet to visit.