Hello! My name is Tricia and I’m a junior studying Sociology and Global Health at Northwestern. I will be updating this blog with stories, reflections, and thoughts from my time in Mexico City, but, for now, the thoughts swirling through my head as I sit here in Chicago will have to suffice.
To say the least, I am incredibly excited to participate in the Public Health in Mexico program at Universidad Panamericana (UP). I know that new experiences should be approached with an open mind and no expectations, but, due to the pre-departure workshops, the stories I’ve heard from my Mexican family, and the photo blogs I’ve been following, it has been incredibly difficult for me to resist envisioning what my life in Mexico City will be like. I mostly think about the knowledge I will obtain as a student at UP and how meaningful it will be for me as a person and as a future professional. For instance, in the History and Culture of Mexico course, I anticipate learning a lot more about my Mexican heritage. I look forward to supplementing the knowledge my parents have taught me with texts from class and cultural experiences outside the classroom. Hopefully, this newfound cultural knowledge will also translate into a better understanding of the immigrant Mexican community in Chicago. I intend to work closely with this community as a professional, whether that be through work in public health or as a physician, so I will wholeheartedly value any cultural lessons I may have missed growing up in America. I’m also very excited to take the public health courses simply because they align perfectly with my academic and professional interests. Studying the Mexican public health system while in Mexico will make for an unparalleled learning experience. I imagine it being far better than learning about it in a cold Evanston classroom. Overall, my mental image of my experience in Mexico entails amazing learning opportunities, and I intend to take full advantage of them during my time in Mexico City.
