I have been searching to find an abroad experience that incorporates topics from GSS and my intended pre-med track at Davidson. One of the units we covered this semester in GSS was “Health and Reproductive Justice.” It was shocking and eye opening to dive deeper into bodily autonomy – especially when learning about the amount of pelvic exams done without the patient’s knowledge or consent. I think it is very important that people have the right to make decisions over one’s own life and future. In places where healthcare is not widely available, people’s bodily autonomy is not something always given to them. This caused me to search for opportunities relating to women’s health abroad. One that I found is a volunteer opportunity in Zambia to shadow a gynecologist in a health clinic. I would be assisting in low-income communities in Zambia that aim to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. A lot of resources are available through the program: accommodation, meals, and airport pickup. The reason I am applying for this grant is for funding to take part in this experience. Each week of the program is $370 and I would love to stay for 2 weeks, so I am asking for $740 to participate in the program. Following these two weeks of participating in the Medical Volunteer Program in Zambia – Livingstone, I plan to put together a presentation of my time working there and incorporate it into my senior thesis or capstone. I want to use this experience to be able to interact with patients and gain real world experience of topics we touched on in class.