Student Spotlight: Neher Learns Power of Field Research
Susi Neher, a junior at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was chosen for a recent profile of successful internship candidates by the Boston University Center for Career Development.
Neher completed a 2014 field practicum in public health in the Kilimanjaro Bush Camp (KBC) near Kimana, Kenya, studying public health and environmental issues. The trip was organized through the School of Field Studies with assistance from the Pardee School undergraduate office. She was profiled on March 31.
From the text of the profile:
I took courses in culture, public health, and field research methods. As a researcher, I collected data in the field on community health issues to fulfill a directed research project…The best thing about my experience was getting to do directed research in the field as an undergraduate. I also enjoyed being challenged by my program, meeting a lot of amazing new people, and experiencing a different culture.
You can read the entire profile here.
Neher also blogged extensively about her Kenya experience at “32 Siku (Days) in Kenya,” describing the work and life she experienced in KBC. From her anecdotes:
“The CHWs (community health workers) in Kenya are able to dispense prescriptions for antibiotics, mild painkillers and more (pretty much over the counter-strength stuff in the US). I was able to write up some prescriptions and sign them, along with several of the children’s immunization books. That means somewhere in rural southern Kenya, a child has my signature in their health records. That was a pretty moving realization for me.”
You can read the whole blog here.
Neher is currently studying abroad in Geneva and hopes to return to Africa this summer.