Hi all! My name is Chan Nguyen and I’m coming from the tiny town of Gettysburg, PA. I’m a rising senior studying biology and economics in the College, and I’m one of four interns for Shahi Exports, a large garment factory based in Bangalore. We will be spending a couple weeks in Orissa and the majority of our time in Bangalore, studying the effects of the rural-urban transition on their young female employees and ultimately helping them develop employee welfare initiatives. I was really excited about this program because it provides an opportunity to explore the intersection of labor and health, and although nothing has been set in stone, my hope is that we will be able to focus on the mental health of the employees.

With that being said, I’d been extremely on edge the whole day before I flew out of Newark yesterday evening (I currently have a layover in Brussels). I spent my fall semester studying abroad in Europe but have never had the chance to travel to India. I’ve spent the past two summers in Philly so the unfamiliarity of my summer plans is a little nerve-wracking, but I’m so grateful for this incredible opportunity. I love that India has such a rich culture (FOOD!), amd ultimately one of the main takeaways that I’m hoping to get is a better understanding of the people there. Can’t wait to see what the next 10 weeks have in store for me!