Mary Kojima

“Health and well-being is influenced by everything around us, obvious or not.”

Program: Obesity and Health (Madison and Vienna, Austria)

Student’s Major: Nutritional Sciences

Mary at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria

What was one significant cultural difference between your host country or community and Madison?

Overall, life in Vienna seemed much less rushed than in the United States.

What was one of the most memorable experiences from your time abroad?

The most memorable experience from my time abroad was attending the research symposium on moderate acute malnutrition at the International Atomic Energy Agency. Listening to brilliant minds present their research was fascinating and challenging to follow. I really just enjoyed observing the dynamics of a global research symposium.

Describe what the academic and classroom experience (if any) was like on this program.

Three days were spent in the classroom over spring break. Since I was majoring in Nutritional Sciences, I did not feel as though I learned anything new from the lectures given during this class time (i.e. BMI, fat metabolism, health determinants, etc.) I did enjoy the cooking portion of the classroom experience. I felt it was a way to apply lecture material in a real life, hands on experience.

Do you think having participated in this program makes you more prepared for a career in public health?

This specific program, as well as the Global Health Certificate itself has definitely prepared me for a career in public health. It prompted me to expand my existing and previously unchallenged views about health-what it is, what and who influences it, and so on.