Future Makers never stop looking for opportunities to grow, learn, and dive into new experiences. Lehigh students know that summer is a chance to apply their new skills outside the classroom. That’s why a key component of the Soaring Together Scholarship Program is access to the Soaring Together Impact Fund. Through generous donors like Michael Gordon ’61, these scholars gain innovative, hands-on learning experiences to put their Lehigh education into practice.
Here are a few of the exceptional global opportunities our Soaring Together Scholars pursued this summer.
Sean Henry ’27
Belgium — Lehigh in Belgium
Major: Political Science
Minor: Marketing and International Relations
I have been wanting to study abroad for as long as I can remember. The Lehigh in Belgium program gave me an incredible opportunity for this type of experiential learning. Taking a global marketing course in a global context allowed me to see the cultural differences firsthand, which equips me with a new perspective on a variety of issues. The program also gave me the opportunity to travel and experience a variety of cultures and history within Europe. Thank you to our professor, Dr. Laura Smarandescu, and our TA, Michael Nicklaus. I would also like to thank all the Lehigh donors that make experiential learning possible at Lehigh.
Samantha Sandhaus ’28
Sierra Leone — Global Social Impact Fellowship
Major: IDEAS
My time in Sierra Leone was life-changing. With Lehigh’s Global Social Impact Fellowship, I was able to travel to Makeni, Sierra Leone, for three weeks with the Newtrition team, which works to develop micronutrient-fortified foods and beverages, build networks to bring these products to market, and increase local capacity for nutritional outcomes.
Visiting hospitals, schools, and government offices, I learned firsthand about how micronutrient deficiencies are affecting people in Sierra Leone daily. We developed strategic partnerships with these local stakeholders to develop sustainable, culturally appropriate systems and markets for fortified and nutritious products.
This experience has inspired me to explore work in global nutritional development as a career. As an IDEAS student, it was incredible to combine innovation in food engineering, systems thinking, and community empowerment to help address a critical global issue. I would like to thank my teammates and our adviser, Professor Khanjan Mehta. I would also like to thank all of our crucial partners in Sierra Leone, including Mohammad Jawara, Abu Bakarr Jollah, and District Nutritionist Jannet Dugba-Senesie, for demonstrating the resilience and leadership that make these kinds of projects possible.
Clara McAuley ’27
Bududa, Uganda — Uganda Sustainable Livelihoods Program
Major: Biology and Creative Writing
The moment Dr. Kelly Austin began giving her presentation on the Uganda study abroad [program] during freshman orientation, I knew I had to go. I had never before considered traveling to Uganda, let alone living there for two months, but looking back, it was one of the better decisions of my college career.
While staying in Bubiita village with our host family, the Zaales, I spent most days volunteering at Bushika Health Centre III. As a recently certified EMT and aspiring OB-GYN, interning alongside doctors, midwives, and lab techs was such a valuable experience. I spent my time teaching colleagues how to enter patient records into the EMR system, organizing the pharmacy, going through HIV viral load test results, running strip tests for malaria, HIV, hep B, hemoglobin, etc., acting as a medical scribe, and assisting with five deliveries in the maternity ward. I also used my downtime to interview some of the health care and pharmacy workers for a qualitative HIV research project. Together, we talked about everything from stigma and perceptions of HIV across generations to risk factors for drug adherence to changes in accessibility to HIV self-tests and antiretroviral therapies in the wake of recent USAID cuts and the ongoing consequences of colonialism.
Leaving Uganda was harder than I expected, but I’m still in contact with several people from both the homestay and the clinic. Not to mention, their friendship wasn’t the only thing I brought back to the states with me. As I see it, I got to return with a wealth of knowledge, broadened worldview, increased confidence in medical spaces, and of course, the desire to return to Bubiita or continue work in service of the local community while still at Lehigh.
