Beginner level, Bangla Language Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2011

University of Illinois at Chicago, Master’s in Public Health, degree anticipated December 2011

Through a friend.

I wanted to complete a thesis project in Bangladesh as well as develop my job skills for further work in the region and with Bangla-speaking populations in the United States.

I hope to work in the public health field in health education or social service administration. I’m also a Fulbright hopeful as well as an aspiring Public Health Ph.D.

I’m using it every day! Directly after the program I will be conducting some research for my thesis, and this will make use of my burgeoning Bangla skills as I explore how religion impacts health decision-making and community groups.

I hope to complete more work in Bangladesh: first by applying to the Fulbright program, and later perhaps as a professional working here in public health.

Participation re-oriented my life such that a stable professional life in Bangladesh became a prospective goal. Previously, my goals for using Bangla were much more short-term and were directed only towards limited thesis work. Now, I may build a life around my Bangla language skills – a major shift, and one I am contemplating very seriously at present.

Our Bangla teachers were kind, patient, and effective. I also thought our student group was full of amazingly intelligent and insightful people who were a lot of fun to have in class. My number one favorite thing, though, is the great sense of welcome that Bangladeshi people have for us foreigners. I feel deeply honored.

I learned a great deal about the incredible hospitality of the Bangladeshi people, and about their willingness to relate kindly to Americans like me. I also loved learning about Bangladesh history, including the Liberation War and the importance of language to Bangladesh’s independence movement. What we are learning has a deep importance that I didn’t understand before I came here.

My CLS final project involved interviewing women in public who were wearing burqas in the local bazaar. I’ve interviewed a number of women, and found them to be as friendly as anyone else. I’ve learned that Muslim women here have a “live and let live” approach for the varying religious expressions in Bangladesh and worldwide, and that they are genuinely happy with their own choices. I find this enlightening and a big relief.

I love “jadu,” which is “museum” but literally means “magic.” I also like “Sukh,” which means “contentment.” It was the name of a priestess from my Buddhist temple in Chicago – which uses the same Sanskrit roots for its liturgical language as the Bangladeshi people do for their day-to-day life!

I’m from Chicago, the middle child of five. I’m a Zen Buddhist, and my current research is on Islam and its role in public health. I’ve really been enjoying learning more about how religion has shaped human life for centuries, including how it impacts the health of whole populations. At home, I like to ride my bike and I also practice karate in a dojo that specializes in non-violence and self-defense. It’s fun and empowering, and I’m happy to have never needed to use anything but the training in self-confidence!

Thanks for the opportunity!