Summer is no longer a time for me to spend endless days lounging by the pool, staring at the TV and indulging in ice cream. However, the passing of this lifestyle is not upsetting. Rather, summer has become an exciting time to explore interests and gain valuable work and research experiences. During the spring, most undergraduates at Rice University scramble to figure out summer plans, and by looking hard enough and seeking advice from others, we find ways to utilize our talents and pursue our passions.
Nearly all the courses I took this past year were related to either the natural sciences or the Arabic language. This combination is rather unconventional, and one of my Arabic professors chuckled as he mentioned he has never had a student at Rice who was serious about both of these subjects. I believe combining these two fields into a career will not be an impossible task, but it will require some creativity.
I have always enjoyed studying science, but I only discovered the Arabic language two years ago. After graduating from high school in 2009, I spent the following academic year in Cairo, Egypt, with a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State called the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). NSLI-Y is part of a government initiative to advance language learning and cultural understanding to promote international dialogue and other national interests. I lived with an Egyptian family (pictured above, I am on the right), took Arabic lessons and volunteered at a center for children with mental disabilities. On weekends, I explored the streets of Cairo, entranced by the commotion of everyday activity and the longevity of historical monuments. I would return home, sweaty and satisfied, to play with my three-year-old host sister and relax with my family.
Before traveling to Egypt, I had very little interest in the Middle East, politically, economically or culturally, not to mention in the Arabic language. Now, especially with the current upheavals and changes in that region, my interests abound. In high school, I studied Spanish and Latin, and these collective experiences with languages have motivated me to learn and understand more about foreign cultures. The most effective way to forge cross-cultural relationships is to spend time abroad and make a concerted effort to assimilate. I plan to continue studying Arabic and would like to return to the Middle East, hopefully in the near future, to work or conduct research. I have no clear plan, but I am confident that by searching for opportunities and using help from other people, I will find ways to incorporate my interests and strengths.
Since starting at Rice a year ago, I have been drawn to the Baker Institute and have attended many lectures and events, especially those relating to the Middle East. I did not want to limit my involvement by showing up at events merely as a passive onlooker, but I was unsure of other ways in which I could get involved. During my search for ways to spend the summer of 2011, I mentioned my passion for Arabic to my adviser, who works in the School of Natural Sciences. She connected me with the International Stem Cell Policy Program at the Baker Institute. Interning for this program, which is endowed by the State of Qatar, may provide that opportunity to combine my interests in science, medicine and Arabic.
I just started my internship, so I do not know where it will lead or what opportunities will arise as a result, but I am thrilled to be working at the Baker Institute and to no longer be a bystander.
Monica Matsumoto is an intern for the Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program working under the supervision of Kirstin Matthews, Ph.D. She is majoring in biochemistry and cell biology, and plans to graduate in 2014.