My name is Abha Natu, and I’m currently a senior. I am from Hillsborough, New Jersey. I am currently pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Business. I am currently working as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at Dr. Thomas Kamarck’s MATCH Lab. I have also served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for both Developmental Psychology (under Dr. Jennifer Ganger) and Introduction to Psychology (under Dr. Marc Coutanche). In the past, I’ve had an internship at Johnson & Johnson as a Records Management Intern. 

There are many reasons why I decided to join the Global Service Learning Experience. I have always been interested in experiencing new cultures and broadening my perspective through international engagement. I always wanted to study abroad during college, but did not have the time or opportunity to fit it into my schedule. I saw that this program was being offered and decided it was my opportunity to get a study-abroad experience before I graduate. I was drawn to this program because it provided a way to engage with a community, learn from their perspective, and contribute to real-world solutions. Throughout high school, I frequently volunteered, but I haven’t now as frequently. I saw this program as a way to get back into it. But I was never a part of something that was so hands-on and experiential, so I knew it would be different from traditional volunteering and that I would gain invaluable experience from it. I knew that working with an international non-profit organization would challenge me to use business and problem-solving skills to create a meaningful impact. This program also gives me the opportunity and exposure to consulting work, which is something that I have always been interested in. I knew that working in a different cultural context would help me further develop skills that employers value, like adaptability, teamwork, and communication. My short-term academic goal is to graduate from college and find a job that I enjoy and can learn from. My long-term professional goals are always changing because of the many different interests I have, like consulting, psychology, and law. This ties into why I wanted to be a part of this global learning experience. I would get consulting experience in the real world, helping me pinpoint my interests. I could see myself talking about this experience and the impact it made in a future job interview. I also liked how we are enrolled in a semester-long class that teaches us how to create impactful deliverables and understand how service learning is different from traditional volunteering. 

I see this experience bridging what I learned in college and my professional development, learning to work with diverse teams and understand challenges from different perspectives, preparing me for any workplace. In joining the Global Service Learning program, I want to grow personally by engaging with a new culture, exploring, applying what I learned in a practical setting, and professionally developing skills that could be valuable in my career. I see this experience as a chance to learn, contribute, and create connections that will have a long-lasting impact not only on me but on the community as well.