By Katarina O'Regan, FCLC '12
Katarina O’Regan graduated from FCLC in December 2012 with a
major in International Studies. She is completing a fellowship program at the
Asian University for Women (AUW) located in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Like most seniors at Fordham, my last semester was a flurry
of activity. I had just returned from an amazing study abroad experience in
Tunisia, and was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, or at
least with my next year. As happy as I was to be back in NYC, I also wanted to
go abroad again, to a place I hadn’t seen before. Part of that desire was
personal, but as an International Studies major interested in development, I
knew getting more international credentials wouldn’t be a bad move. I started
searching for jobs abroad, and was lucky enough to stumble across a program
offered at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. The application
process was relatively quick, and by the time the semester drew to an end, I
had accepted their offer!
Spring passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was August,
and I was meeting the other fellows at JFK to begin our journey to Chittagong.
By the time we arrived, we were tired, but excited and somehow already good
friends (Nothing like 30 hours of travel to get people to bond!) We spent the next
several weeks in orientation and then classes began. We’ve been busy ever
since!
AUW is a new university, opening only in 2008. It's
goal is enshrined in its mission statement: "to graduate women who
will be skilled and innovative professionals, service-oriented leaders in the
businesses and communities in which they will work and live, and promoters of
intercultural understanding and sustainable human and economic development in
Asia and throughout the world." They recruit from over 15 countries
across Asia and the Middle East, and are committed to making education
accessible for those who have been historically denied this type of
opportunity. On campus, we have extraordinary diversity. People of many
ethnicities, backgrounds and religions all intermingle, which makes class
material on identity, culture and politics all the more relevant. The faculty
are also an impressive bunch, hailing from the U.S., Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,
and more.
At AUW, most fellows divide their time between different
roles. This semester, I’m serving as a TA for two academic courses, tutoring
students and leading workshops in the Writing Center, and advising students on
resumes in the Career Development Center. This mix is typical, though it does
differ from person to person. AUW is a 5 year program, with a 1 year
preparatory academy, where some of the fellows teach. We each have 40 hours of
officially allocated work, but many volunteer to advise clubs, plan events, and
serve on committees. Last fall, I taught weekly workshops for the dance club,
advised an urban development research initiative and helped initiate a student
health group. It’s full load, but it’s a good one.
I love the experience I’ve had at AUW, but it does have its
hardships. There are significant cultural differences between Bangladesh and
the States, and our lack of Bangla makes getting around difficult. There are
few foreigners in Chittagong, and we attract a fair amount of attention when we
go out. The attention isn’t hostile – many Chittagonians are quite friendly –
but it can be disconcerting. And of course, there are some things that I crave
from home (I’d give my right arm for Shake Shack right about now). These
differences between here and home affect everyone differently, but for me, they
pale in comparison to the benefits of living here: being able to travel on
breaks, learning about different regions, and meeting incredible people.
If you’re interested in international development, women’s
empowerment, or higher education, and you’re up for a challenging, but
rewarding year, I urge you to consider applying to AUW’s fellowship program for
2014-2015.
