Hello! My name is Maddie Skalski, and I am a rising senior at CofC. I am double majoring in Spanish and Public Health and minoring in Biology. I am so excited to participate in the CofC in France and Switzerland Public Health summer abroad program! I am eagerly preparing for the trip with the program approaching in just a few weeks. I participated in a summer abroad program last summer, and while it may sound cliché, it was truly a life-changing experience. I gained lifelong memories and experienced so much academic and personal growth, so I knew I had to do it again. I chose this specific program for many reasons. Firstly, I am very interested in learning about public health from a global perspective. Every country handles health differently, and I believe that learning about health from a broader view will be incredibly beneficial in developing a deeper understanding of the different approaches to Public Health. One of the highlights of the trip is the opportunity to visit the WHO (World Health Organization), which is one aspect I am really looking forward to. One day I hope to become a Physician Assistant, and I believe that this program will allow me to gain insightful knowledge about health that will forever help me in my future career. Another reason I decided to apply to this program was because of the opportunity to learn and live in a different part of the world. This opens up the opportunity to become immersed in the local culture. During this program, I hope to be able to learn more about myself, expand my perspectives, grow my independence and responsibility, meet new people, learn about new cultures, push myself outside of my comfort zone, and many more wonderful things! I want to approach this experience with an open mind ready for whatever is to come. For this reason, I have tried to keep my research about Paris and the other places we are traveling to a minimum. I cannot wait for this experience and to take you along with me on the journey!