Three Study Abroad Programs

July 2024

Alex Black has represented the BYU College of Nursing on three study abroad programs in the past year. His first study abroad was in Nepal, where he worked with an interdisciplinary team to study and improve the lives of brick-kiln workers. Black explains, “Most of their infrastructure is made out of brick, which is created by a firing process that shoots dust and soot into the air. The overall breathing quality in this area of Nepal is one of the worst in the entire world. The research tells us . . . how the environment they live in is affecting their health.”

Black’s second study abroad was a month and a half in Spain as part of the Global and Population Health Nursing Clinical Practicum. He says, “The main goal of the study abroad was to get a better understanding of Spain’s healthcare system, get clinical experience working with patients and different hospital units, and learn about Spanish culture.” This will help all the students to become better nurses. 

The third study abroad was in Paraguay, where Black helped to teach reproductive health to high school students. This trip was in response to a BYU Nursing study done a couple of years ago that showed high rates of teenage pregnancy in Paraguay. The researchers connected the high rates to a lack of education in schools. To help combat this issue, Black went with BYU Nursing students and professors to teach about reproductive health.

BYU scholarships helped Black fund not only his education but also these study abroad experiences. He would like to express his gratitude for those who donate because of the impact these scholarships have had in his life. He says, “My experiences in the BYU College of Nursing would not have been possible without you donating monetary funds to the college. The ideas and experiences that I’ve obtained from being a part of the College of Nursing, going to clinicals, interacting with others, nursing throughout the world, experiencing new cultures, and meeting new people have changed me as a person. Because of these experiences, I am going to be a better person for the rest of my life.”