Issue link: http://howardcc.uberflip.com/i/1059479
p Rouse Scholar Elijah Perry stands in front of the medieval Orvieto Cathedral, located in Italy, during the summer 2018 Italy study abroad program. q Sara Samadani interned at the National Institutes of Health in summer of 2016. G lobal in s i gh t One of those aspiring leaders is Elijah Perry. Coming to HCC as a dual-enrolled high school senior, he wanted to be surrounded by students whose interests went beyond what a course requires. Majoring in philosophy and religious studies with a minor in business, and a specialized interest in ministry services, Perry became a Rouse Scholar and recently took advantage of a study abroad program to Italy. The opportunity to learn about the history of early churches in Rome, and explore a different culture and country was an exhilarating experience that he will never forget. "We saw some amazing sites, and got to experience Rome's history, art, food, and culture," said Perry. "This was not about earning a grade or meeting the requirements of a course. This was an experience that gave me exposure to a new place, new people, and a completely different way of life." For Mary Allen, director of international education, Perry's experience is exactly why HCC strives to make these programs available to students. "Studying abroad is important because it provides students with the opportunity to explore diverse perspectives and global content in real time on the ground," she says. "It brings course content to life and provides opportunities for students to step out of their comfort zones to develop new ways of observing, analyzing, and understanding themselves and the world around them. The impact can be profound and serve as motivation for course of study, completion, career choices, research, or additional travel abroad." I ntern sh ip s and InvolvemenT With her sights set on becoming a surgeon, Sara Samadani believes the STEM Scholars program helped pave the way for her transfer to UMBC. With guidance from her HCC mentors, she learned about a clinical research work opportunity at the National Institutes of Health in summer 2016. More than 500 students applied, and Samadani, who relocated from Iran to study in the U.S., was one of just 30 selected to work. She performed functional MRI studies on patients and analyzed and reported data to help determine the most ideal plan of care for patients. 8 Howard Community College