The Bunche Center Newsletter
October 2021
In This Issue:
  • Greetings from the Director
  • Welcome RBC Staff: Jamilah and Mayowa
  • Go Global: Stories from Abroad
  • Upcoming Events
  • Summer Recap: Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship
  • An Evening at The Netherlands Embassy
  • Bison Abroad Updates
  • Global Mental Health
  • Fellowships, Internships & Career Opportunities
A Note From Bunche Center Director, Tonija Hope
Dear Bison Family,

Since this is our first newsletter of the academic year, it's the first time we are able to say WELCOME BACK!! We are simply delighted to have students back on campus and to be able to engage with our Bison family in-person. We have been very busy since returning to campus. We started the year with two new faces. We are thrilled to welcome two HU alums, Mrs. Jamilah Rashid and Ms. Mayowa Fageyinbo back to their alma mater. See more info on them below! This year we are celebrating India with our "How(ard) About !ndia" series which we kicked off with an orientation week "Art of Kolam" workshop (see @hubunchecenter on IG for visuals). We welcomed Ambassador Sandhu for the 2021 installment of the King/Gandhi Lecture and we visited the Embassy of India. Stay tuned for upcoming events throughout the rest of the year.
We also hosted a panel discussion on the AfroLatin Experience at HBCUs with a panel of graduate students. It was a powerful conversation which you can watch here.
We will start "Diaspora Dialogues" soon to continue exploring the rich diversity of the African Diaspora within our campus community. And we are also hosting weekly info sessions on study abroad (details below). All in all, it's shaping up to be a fantastic year. We look forward to seeing you in the Center, in classes, around campus and at our events! Don't forget to follow us on social media for up tot he minute info! Here's to a great year Bison!!

Globally,
Tonija Hope
Director
Welcome, Jamilah and Mayowa!
The Ralph Bunche Center is delighted to welcome two new staff,
Jamilah and Mayowa! Read more about them below.
Jamilah Rashid
Program Manager, Study Abroad

Read her bio here

Mayowa Fageyinbo
Program Assistant, International Affairs

Read her bio here
Go Global: Stories from Abroad
"My study abroad journey began long before I entered college. I watched my older sister travel to several different countries while pursuing her undergraduate degree, each time coming back with amazing stories to share with me. I loved the idea of experiencing all the lessons that a different country had to offer. When I entered Howard University, I attended study abroad fairs, watched countless YouTube videos, and started narrowing down the list of places I wanted to visit. However, when it was time to apply, I became discouraged with the challenge of finding courses abroad that would still allow me to stay on track with my pre-med degree. Another concern was being able to finance my trip without having to take out any more loans. With encouragement and guidance from my Howard mentors, I decided to apply for a summer study abroad trip to Kenya, which would not interfere with my semester coursework. I also applied for and won the Gilman Scholarship that fully funded my trip.

In just a few months, what had always been a dream had become a reality. I was on a flight to Kisumu, Kenya to explore my long-term interest in mental health as part of the SIT Public Health in the Tropics Program. The program allowed me the flexibility of creating my own internship based on my interests. I had many interests in global health, public health policy and mental health. I was able to organize various internship sites around Kisumu where I could learn more about each field of study. My primary site was an outpatient psychiatry unit in one of the largest public hospitals in Kisumu, where I saw patients with the psychiatrist and did hospital duties with local medical students.
I was amazed at how quickly I acclimated to my daily life in Kenya. My host mom was a single-mother who treated me no differently than my own mother. We went on walks around the city and ate almost every meal together. She taught me how to use public transportation by myself. Within a few weeks I was taking the bus to and from my internship, going out to eat with my friends and taking trips to the market to buy groceries for the house. Due to my dark skin and features, I passed as a Kenyan and used the little Swahili I learned in class to interact with locals. I’ve always had dreams of working abroad as a travel doctor after getting my medical degree and my time in Kisumu showed me that I can quickly adjust to new environments. I also realized that I didn’t miss the American life. Kenya still had all the luxury restaurants and shopping malls that America had, but I learned to place greater value on the things that really mattered like spending time with my new family, friends and community.

My program director constantly cautioned us to take off our 'foreign glasses', meaning to let go of preconceived notions or biases we may hold about cultures outside of ours. The longer I stayed in Kenya, the more I was able to see the country for what it was: the good and the bad. I saw the way people were so taken care of by their community, and the major advancements the country had made in it’s healthcare system. I also noticed the ways the dominant religious culture sometimes negatively affected people who were considered outsiders, specifically members of the LGBTQ community. In its entirety, my experience abroad was the best learning experience I have had. It made me question the beliefs I held. I now understood people different from myself. I learned to live like a local in a culture very different from my own. The memories and experiences I had abroad were the best teachers I have ever had.



Caroline Idehen is a graduate of Howard University, class of 2020. She majored in biology and minored in chemistry.
Upcoming Events
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Summer Recap: Patricia Robert Harris Fellows
The 2021 Patricia Roberts Harris fellows completed a summer internship as part of their fellowship program. Learn about how they spent their summer below.
Makenli Raspberry 
Internship Site: Oracle 

"I have come to find out that healthcare and technology coincide with each other pretty seamlessly. I was able to learn throughout my internship about the importance of integrating healthcare and technology, whether that’s the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines or making sure a nation’s database is taken care of, and patients’ healthcare records are stored carefully. During my time at Oracle I learned a different perspective about the public affairs realm." 
Meet the Fellows
Aissa Dearing
Internship Site: Executive of the President, Council on Environmental Quality 

 "I never imagined being able to tour the West Wing of the White House and saying 'I work here.' I was so inspired by the work that the senior leadership of color was doing within my office. While this meaningful internship experience filled me with immense gratitude, it also taught me a lot of things about how to navigate these spaces as a woman of color. As one of the only women of color on my team, I was often relegated to the tasks of integrating environmental justice work into all aspects of federal sustainability. Though environmental justice is a high priority of the Biden-Harris Administration, it is clear that throughout the government, nonprofit, and NGO spaces, that the social infrastructure required to do meaningful engagement with environmentally vulnerable communities has not been built yet. In the duration of my internship, I was able to see the tangible changes my contributions were making -- the sustainable procurement team was looking into how to incorporate environmental justice into deciding which company should earn a federal contract and the adaptation and resilience team was looking at how to encourage federal agencies to look at co-benefits for environmental justice within their current efforts. Not only did I begin the conversation on environmental justice within federal sustainability but I encouraged my supervisors to continue conversations on their own."
Kenadi Maupin 
Internship Site: House Democratic Committee 

"I have always had an interest in communications going back to my sophomore year at Howard when I interned in a member’s office on the hill. There I worked on memos for staff, constituent letters and social media posts for the communications director. I had never thought about how social media and messaging could impact politics and this new route interested me a lot. The House Democratic Caucus includes every single Democratic Member in the House of Representatives (220 Members). However, since I was working for the leadership office this meant that I was representing and working for the Chair of the Caucus, Hakeem Jeffries who represents New York and many say may be the next Speaker of the House." 
Elon Stein
Internship Site: Congressional Black Caucus

"I have yet to start my official internship with Roosevelt High School but have begun as a Congressional Black Caucus intern which I became with the help of my PRH mentor. I am a current staff intern for Congressman Steve Cohen’s office. The work is standard but the real excitement of course comes from being connected with Capitol Hill. I hope to one day be involved with enacting policy so the first-hand view now is incredible. Every insight from the CBC gives me a stronger knowledge base to operate from in the future. My pathway has changed many times since freshman year. I entered as a finance major with ideas of nonprofit work, and now am potentially considering a full circle back to that end goal. I am applying to grad schools for public policy and nonprofit management. In just a short time in the office, I have already come to a better understanding of what I want from my career. "
Camille King 
Internship Site: Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS)

"One of my biggest accomplishments at WCAPS was hosting a podcast called, “Unexpectedly Empowered” with their GenZer program. I spent about three weeks preparing for this podcast by collecting contact information from participants, emailing, researching, scheduling a planning call, and revision discussion questions. Throughout this process, I never felt alone because my co-workers and associate interns were there to help advise and support me. The podcast was a huge success and is live on WCAPS streaming services through Spotify and Apple. Overall, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity granted to me through my Patricia Robert Harris Fellowship."
An Evening at the Embassy of the Netherlands
International affairs majors from Howard University had the unique opportunity to have dinner at the Embassy of the Netherlands! Read more about the evening from junior Nagea Kirkley.
"I was interested in attending the dinner at the Embassy of the Netherlands because it was an opportunity to discuss relevant topics from different perspectives. The dinner took place at Ambassador Andre Haspels residence with Mr. Thijs van der Plas, Director-General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Joep Wijnands, Director-General for Policy at the Ministry of Defense. The discussion focused on the Trans-Atlantic relationship between different countries and human rights.

Overall, I got the impression that diplomats have redefined American democracy, due to Trump-era politics, not for better but for worse. A classmate and I helped our friends from the Netherlands understand how Trump rose to power socially and politically.

After our contributions were given for cultural context, we asked the representatives of the Embassy of the Netherlands to define their relationship with America and how their country would like to move forward with the United States. Mr. Thijs van der Plas and Mr. Joep Wijnands both discussed how the Netherlands wishes to maintain strong ties with the United States while lessening their socioeconomic dependence on America. It was interesting to learn how, in most EU-based countries, political polarization is seen as something to overcome through education, refugee support programs, and political representation. That is not the case in America.

The realization of America not being as democratic, industrialized, or tolerant as other developed nations has caused a ripple effect. The United States and its businesses are not as appealing to partner with post-Trump. The socioeconomic effects of working with America are currently seen as high risk investments. This is now encouraging traditionally American dependent countries to seek opportunities with other nations.

Opportunities like these are important because as a student, you increase your cultural competency. You're provided with learning experiences from trusted sources in high ranking positions. This gives us insight into topics such as international education, international diplomacy, international affairs, and more. Most importantly, it promotes cultural exchange and shows just how much our voices matter as Black youth in the United States."
Bison Abroad Updates
Interested in studying abroad? The deadline to apply for spring is October 26th! Study abroad programs are available for the fall, spring and summer terms.
Click here to register for an info session:
Last month, the Ralph Bunche Center held its first interest meeting for the Bunche Brigade. The "Bunche Brigade" is a student volunteer group for those interested in all things global.

Benefits of joining the Bunche Brigade include:
  • Being the first to know about international opportunities, including scholarships, fellowships, & internships;
  • Being a peer advisor and sharing your experience abroad with like-minded students;
  • Gaining leadership skills by supporting Bunche Center events and building your resumé;
  • Engaging with special guests and speakers;
  • Promoting global education on campus.


Previous study abroad experience is NOT required!
Click here to access the interest form
Global Mental Health
October 10th was World Mental Health Day! According to the World Health Organization, one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives, yet around 25% of countries have no mental health legislation. Moreover, upwards to 90 percent of people do not receive adequate mental healthcare in the poorest and most rural of communities. Lack of access to proper mental healthcare is a global issue.
Internships, Fellowships & Career Opportunities

As we seek to continue engaging talented students from Howard University, it is my pleasure to share that the annual application for Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) International Development Fellows Program is now open. We believe that this unique 12-month professional development opportunity, designed for individuals dedicated to a career in international relief and development, will appeal to many of your graduate students and recent alumni.
CRS is one of the largest and most trusted international relief and development organizations. In more than 100 countries worldwide, CRS promotes transformative and sustainable change by using holistic approaches, engaging people at all levels, and tailoring our work to the needs of the people we serve.

The 2022-2023 Fellowship Application is Open! Click here for more information.
A Princeton in Africa fellowship experience is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for personal and professional development and growth. It is often described as a way to get a foot in the door of the field of development on the African continent. It is also an opportunity to join a growing community of passionate PiAf alumni.

The fellowship experience varies greatly depending on placement and organization. Some Fellows work closely with a supervisor or colleague(s); others work more independently. Some Fellows work in offices that are filled with local staff; others work with a high number of expatriates. Some Fellows live in urban areas like Johannesburg and Nairobi; others are based in very rural areas with limited resources.
A semester-long internship program featuring placement in Congressional and corporate legislative affairs office. Students will gain educational and hands-on experience with project-based public policy programs. The program takes place in the spring and in the fall semester of each year.

For more information about CHLI's Global Leaders Internship and Fellowship Program, visit our F.A.Q page. Further questions can be directed to CHLI Programs Assistant Mauricio Villacres at mvillacres@chli.org or info@chli.org.

Want to get in touch with the Bunche Center?
Email us at BuncheCenter@Howard.edu!
[202-806-4363]  [BuncheCenter@Howard.edu]  [global.howard.edu]