Mughilan came to EXPLO to learn about American culture, but has found a diverse community where learning about other countries and cultures is just as common.
I have always wanted to come to America but I am afraid to travel alone, so I figured if I could come to a program where I could feel safe and receive guidance, that would be ideal.
The experience overall has been wonderful. I love New Haven, you get the aesthetic of Manhattan but it's a lot calmer and I don't feel pressured to always be on the go. Although I came here to learn about American culture, EXPLO has given me so much more. The diverse community here means I am learning about Brazilian culture, Chinese culture, among many others. There is a great sense of community here and I really love that you can come here and tell people about your culture while at the same time not feeling like an outsider.
I hope to go into medicine or forensics in the future. My goal is to help people, I am just figuring out how exactly I am going to do that at the moment. At home, I instruct swimming for students and the best thing about that is observing people set goals for themselves and then actually achieve them. I love being able to help people do things that make them proud of themselves. It truly brings such joy to my life and I don't see a future for myself if it isn't one that includes helping people.
Marie-Simone Kadurira