University of Wisconsin–Madison

Nepal: Srishrika Pattaswamy

Program: UW Global Health Community Health and Health Disparity in Nepal, Summer

Srishrika’s Major: Biology

What is your most memorable experience from your program?

The sun sets over rows and rows of mountains, casting a reflection on a lake in front of the mountains.
Our first night in Pokhara before the hike

Staying in the village was the most memorable part of the program. The whole community was so lovely and did everything they could to help us out. The village was absolutely beautiful and it was the perfect breath of fresh air after staying in the city for a week.

How did your identities impact your experience? 

As an Indian, I was excited to see the similarities and differences between the country I am familiar with and the country that I am seeing for the first time. The biggest piece of advice I would give would be to keep an open mind when in the country and not immediately think you know everything there is to know.

Fog rolls over a patch of evergreen trees in front of snow-covered mountains.
The view from our hostel

How were your program academics similar or different from classes at UW-Madison? 

This program was very different from taking classes at UW-Madison. For starters, the learning environment was drastically different from being in the classroom and I feel that I learned so much more in a much shorter time span. Additionally, the spontaneity of every day made everything so much more interesting and helped me understand what I was seeing.