Colorado State University Education Abroad sends over 1,600 students abroad each year to over 80 countries. Kiara Chavez, a rising junior studying health and exercise science, is one of these students.
Chavez spent three weeks this summer studying and volunteering in Livingstone, Zambia. During her time in Zambia, Chavez taught workshops and participated in sports with local kids. In addition, she applied the knowledge she learned from her health and exercise science classes at CSU to strengthen her skills in patient care, all while taking in some of the culture and landscapes of Africa.
Kiara Chavez’s background
Chavez, who has lived in Fort Collins her whole life, decided to stay local to continue her schooling due to CSU’s fantastic Department of Health and Exercise Science and to stay close to her family.
“I chose to study HES because the human body is very interesting to me,” Chavez said. “I have always wanted to learn how all the muscles work together and how we can heal injuries.”
Chavez, who is earning a degree in health and exercise science with a sports medicine concentration, plans to enter physician’s assistant school upon graduating. Chavez took advantage of the Education Abroad summer program in Zambia to augment her learning and explore outside her hometown for practical experience and adventure.
Volunteering and experiencing Zambia
Throughout her time in Zambia, Chavez volunteered in multiple settings and participated in numerous activities.
“I volunteered by teaching workshops about first aid and menstrual health hygiene to kids, who beforehand, may not have been aware of the proper health practices,” Chavez explained. “I also volunteered in home-based care in which you go house-to-house and try to assess the patient and help them with the tools you’re given.”
Additionally, Chavez and other students in the study abroad program played sports with local kids and taught the kids active games. Other projects included picking up litter on the road and creating Ecobricks. Chavez was also able to participate in adventurous excursions.
“We jumped off the Victoria Falls Bridge in a swing, went on an overnight safari in Botswana, rafted in the Zambezi River, and got to feed elephants,” Chavez said.
Chavez gained a plethora of new skills and experiences during her time in Zambia.
“I learned how to better assess a patient’s problem by asking questions to find the source of a problem,” Chavez said. “I also learned to be more patient when teaching someone something because everyone comes from different backgrounds and is taught a concept in a different way, or not at all.”
Overall, Chavez’s favorite parts of the study abroad program came from the kids she worked with and the new experiences she gained.
“Seeing the progress of the kids we taught in our workshops was my favorite part of the program,” Chavez said. “It was cool to see them applying and remembering the information we taught them. Being in Zambia, I learned how beautiful their culture is and how great of a community Livingstone is.”
The Department of Health and Exercise Science is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
