Jessica Friedmann: Ghana Fellow, USC

I’ve started writing this blog post several times, and each time have gotten distracted by one of my fellow group members, my research, or occasionally a delicious Ghanaian meal. With so many exciting things going on all the time, I’ve struggled to find time to sit down and reflect, but here goes!

First, a little bit about myself. My name is Jessie Friedmann and I am an incoming junior at USC studying Public Policy and Psychology. Both in the classroom and out, I am very interested in youth development, especially as it pertains to public health. Here in Ghana, I have been researching HIV/AIDS prevention in youth populations, primarily teenagers. In the past five weeks I have been visiting schools, talking to government officials, and interviewing non-governmental organizations with the hopes of eventually understanding what resources are available to teens through the education system, governmental medical support, and NGO outreach. To say this has been interesting would be an enormous understatement.

While I love my classes and extra-curricular activities at USC, being able to perform first-hand research about a topic that I’m passionate about has been beyond rewarding. Last week, I was fortunate enough to speak with a project manager at Planned Parenthood of Ghana about my research topic, and ended up in his office for upwards of two hours. Despite us having few similarities, we had a gripping conversation about the Ghanaian education system, HIV stigma, and girl’s empowerment. I left his office feeling not only informed, but also extremely inspired.

Inspiring is how I would describe this entire experience. From our group’s gripping dinner conversations, to meeting with Senior Secondary teachers about the importance of education, I have been in constant awe for the past five weeks. Though going back to the United States will be bittersweet, I am confident that the knowledge, memories, and possibly the mosquito bites I have acquired over the past month will stay with me forever. I am so thankful to have had this experience, and can’t wait to travel more in the future.