Mysore, India: Study Abroad Project

Hello, my name is Jessica Brito Ponce and I am a freshman enrolled in FIU pursuing a B.A. in Psychology! This year I had the great privilege of getting into a summer abroad program for Florida International University in Mysore, India. For about four weeks, from May to June 2020, I will be a part of the “Global Health Research Study Abroad Program.” It’s geared towards psychology majors, but anyone with an interest in global health can participate. What really makes it an attractive program for me is that I am able to get 6 credits that apply to my major; the two classes that I am enrolled in for Summer 2020 are courses that I have to pass in order to get my bachelor’s degree. In addition to paying for the plane ticket and all of the other excursions that this program offers, there are fees due for those two summer classes that I enrolled in as part of the study abroad program.

Cost of the Program:
The financial aid package that I currently have comes up short when it comes to covering all of the money this trip would cost and my part-time job isn’t giving me enough hours to pay everything off on time. The next upcoming payment due is $1,200 on January 15, 2020; my goal is set to $5,000 because there are other payment deadlines after that and the cost of each course comes to about $300 per class. 


Here’s a comprehensive summary of what this program is all about: “Mysore- a city located in the southern India state of Karnataka State- is the ideal location for this program. Included visits to sites of cultural significance (like Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills, KR Sagar, 12th-century temple, and other notable sites) will facilitate our exploration of how cultural values and experiences applies to health understandings. FIU is partnering with the Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII) to offer students a comprehensive study abroad experience focusing on global health. PHRII is a recognized National Institutes for Health (NIH) research training site. Students will examine either a physical or psychological health issue while participating in the program. Previous year topics have included intimate partner violence, prenatal care in rural communities, HIV/ AIDS and social support, medical tourism, culturally appropriate depression screening, human trafficking, learning disabilities among children, ADHD and autism, and wholistic health interventions.”

My Passion for Psychology:
One of the main reasons that I got into the world of psychology and mental health in the first place comes from my family. My younger brother was diagnosed with autism and ADHD and growing up I started to learn more and more about the brain and how there’s so much variation in thought from person to person. My ideal topic would be learning more about the ADHD and autism communities that exist outside the U.S. and what kind of treatments are available for children with learning disabilities. In my spare time I have joined a research lab based at FIU called PALM that works with children diagnosed with ADHD and while I’m still training to be a research assistant I have learned so much about the process of actually conducting a proper research study works; hopefully, I can apply all the theories that I’ve been learning in my classes and in the lab towards this program and the projects that are due as part of the summer coursework. 

$1, $5, $10, whatever you can give, it helps out so much in the long run. I know not everyone is in the financial situation to donate, but if you want to help out, please share this Go Fund page with others. It’s an easy and quick way to spread the word around!