<p><img height="250" src="Images/Academics/Religious/ElyseWhitehead.jpg" width="167" />Emmanuel College is a small school of endless opportunities. In May after my freshman year, I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer with the Ubuntu Institute in South Africa and Swaziland, a program offered through the Center for Multicultural Programs at Emmanuel College. Delivering food and medication to Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS patients impassioned me and pushed me to develop my major, Global Health, through the Individualized Major program offered at Emmanuel with a minor in Religious Studies.</p> <p>My sophomore year, taking Arabic language classes and an Islam seminar, fostered my interest in the Islamic and Arab world. I wanted to live in an Islamic society firsthand, and decided to study abroad in Meknes, Morocco for a semester. There, I studied Islamic Society and Politics, Gender Studies, French, and Arabic, while living with a Moroccan family and fasting for the holy Month of Ramadan. My time there was life changing and amazing. My inspiring stay in Morocco pushed me to apply to study Public Health and Gender Studies in a more religiously and ethnically diverse country. I decided to spend the following semester in Pune, India where I had the opportunity to conduct field research investigating the accessibility of healthcare to village women in the state of Maharashtra. Women's health, particularly in developing countries, has become an issue and field I am very passionate about.</p> <p>Upon my return to Emmanuel in the fall of my senior year, I continued taking Arabic and applied for a Critical Language Scholarship for the summer of 2011. I hope to use my Arabic skills to facilitate and empower women in Middle Eastern countries. After my graduation, I look forward to pursuing graduate school and a career in healthcare serving the global community while encompassing the religious beliefs and practices of the people I will be treating in their native languages.</p> <h4></h4> <h4>Senior Distinction Presentation 2011</h4> <iframe frameborder="0" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DkciZauANE0" width="390"></iframe>