Alumni Spotlight: Katarina O'Regan

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.

AUW is taking applications for both senior and junior fellows now and will start interviews in March. The fellowship is posted on Careerlink (ID 28339), or you can visit http://www.auw.edu.bd/job-opportunities/ for more application information. For more information on Katarina’s experience at AUW, visit her blog at http://expatrikat.wordpress.com