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Carolinian Wanderlust
ID # 3788
This is me (on the right) and my friend Hannah at the top of Tirupati after waking up at 3 AM to go on the 9 mile hike to the top with other Hindu pilgrims.
Im Rebecca Sheppard and I hail from the exotic paradise known as Wilmington, NC. Born and raised in North Carolina I always had a fascination with other cultures and countries. I started saving money to go to Africa when I was 11 and bought my plane ticket to Lusaka, Zambia on my 16thbirthday. I worked with an organization called Chikumbuso (Nyanja for memory) that operated as women and orphans project. My wanderlust strengthened as I have spent time working in Chennai, India; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Melbourne, Australia. I came to UNC an Economics and Global Studies double major with a Russian minor, fascinated by how trade and economic policies correlate with our current development hierarchy.
During my time in Zambia I taught in a primary school and set up a letter exchange program with the students and women at Chikumbuso and American students. Two years ago during my time in Chennai, India I worked with a social services organization that focused on education for trafficked women and children. I also developed some community environmental plans throughout Chennai and did work on the legal structure regarding trafficking throughout the different states in India. During my time in Malaysia and Indonesia I worked with the World Food Program on Identifying the most vulnerable areas and target groups for malnutrition. I developed and monitored different nutritional interventions throughout Indonesia and Bangladesh. I researched the role and opportunities of businesses in the development context in the Australia and methods to increase global and environmental welfare during my semester abroad at the University of Edinburgh.
My most recent experience abroad in the Islamic countries of Malaysia and Indonesia provided me with really valuable insights and a greater appreciation of Islam as a religion, as well as the effect religion has on politics and social structures. Particularly after experiences in India, where religion has such a disruptive role in politics, the integration of religion and government has a large impact on the structure and culture of a country.