Virginia studied abroad at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand in 2016. Her study abroad experience shaped her academic goals by offering her courses that fit her interests:
“Studying abroad with ISEP Thailand really gave me an opportunity to study Islam in a different cultural context than the states that further enriched my religious studies experiences and well as my thesis work on Islam and Islamophobia.”
Virginia also participated in ISEP’s Intern Abroad program. She interned for an organization called Boat People SOS which is a humanitarian law firm working with refugees in Bangkok. The internship was especially meaningful in shaping her career goals:
“This experience solidified my desire to work in the humanitarian field and helped me focus my career goals on working with refugee communities.”
Virginia graduated from Maryville College in 2017 with a B.A. in Counseling Psychology. Her first position after graduation was working with the Americorps. Now, Virginia works as a Rural Education Development Teacher for the Peace Corps in Zambia. This is fulfilling a dream Virginia has had for many years. She is currently serving in this role and expresses the impact that ISEP has made on her life:
“I am certain to that my internship experience abroad, and my study abroad experience generally, helped me to achieve my current role as a peace corps volunteer in Zambia.”
