My name is Elise O’Brien and I am a multidisciplinary scholar, a masters student in two programs: Folklore studies and Landscape Architecture. I am also a nontraditional student and a student parent. I love to work internationally and I am involved in global research: one of my student jobs has been as a student worker working for APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes.
Hey everyone! I'm about halfway through my study abroad in Japan, and I just had to share the incredible adventure I'm having. From the moment I landed in Tokyo, I knew I was in for something special.
First off, let's talk about the food. I thought I knew Japanese cuisine from sushi nights back home, but I was not prepared for this flavor explosion. Slurping up authentic ramen in tiny, hidden shops, savoring melt-in-your-mouth sashimi, and don't even get me started on the convenience store snacks – I've probably tried every flavor of Kit Kat in existence!
I have been in Ghana for over a month now and time is really flying by. I am having an incredible time. We have visited the Central, Ashanti and Northern regions of Ghana, learning about cultural practices in each one. Central Region, home of Cape Coast, was especially interesting, as our Aya Centre program director grew up there, so she was able to tell us things we would not have known otherwise. It is also home to Kakum National Park, with massive canopy bridges we got to walk on, Elmina and Cape Coast slave castles and a beach we got to swim in.
While in Spain, I had the opportunity to shadow physicians in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neurology, Cardiology, and the ICU. Each week I was assigned a new specialty, and each week the entire team made sure to make me feel welcomed, included, and valued every step of the way. I was shadowing at Hospital Arquitecto Marcide in Ferrol, Spain. This is a teaching hospital, with approximately 500 beds, and a multitude of both surgical and clinical specialties.
When applying to this internship I was not exactly sure what I was going to get myself into. All I knew was going to go to Saudi Arabia to do research in a new lab run by Dr. Leena Ibrahim that works with mice and neuroscience. I was nervous but excited. This was going to be an eye-opening experience as it was my first time leaving the country without my family. I wanted to make the most of the experience and learn as much as possible about research at very renowned research campus such as KAUST.
My responsibilities at Seen in the City consisted of pitching articles, writing press releases, listicles, and writing product reviews from items I tested. I attended restaurant reviews a few times a week and many times was able to interview chefs and get a behind the scenes look at the London restaurant industry. I also produced copywriting for various companies. Managing relationships and maintaining clear communication was crucial in my job as well. I spent a lot of time on my email, contacting various PR agencies and creating strong relationships with them.
My name is Elise O’Brien and I am a multidisciplinary scholar, a masters student in two programs: Folklore stud
I am a quarter Puerto Rican, quarter Chilean and half Filipina.
I accomplished a lot during these months at Transvision. I can honestly say now that this experience has ended that I feel like I am a different person than when it began. I learned so much about myself, my career goals and aspirations, other people and cultures, and life in general. This internship didn’t just teach me professional skills, it also exposed me to different cultural customs and values and gave me a glimpse into how people live around the world.
