When I applied to the University of Geneva, I was excited to conduct the research related to my interests and majors, but knew little about Geneva itself. Over the course of four months, I would not only get to do the research I had dreamed of doing, but explore and eventually call Geneva, home.

The research I conducted aimed at exploring the relationship between family leave policies and prejudices and stereotypes against women as well as female empowerment. While previous research has examined how generous leave policies are not necessarily the most beneficial in assisting women in advancing their careers, there has yet to be an exploration on how these policies interact with the views held by the people who do and do not take them. The research I did in Geneva, aimed at filling in this gap and understanding the correlation between a state's family leave policies and the citizens' of that state's value of women.

While working in an office setting was beneficial and necessary for the type of research I did, in the future, I hope to try more fieldwork research. At the end of my semester, I wrote a research paper on my findings. The final paper was a gratifying sum to the semester-long work I had done. The research project is not yet complete and my professor and I intend to be in communication in the future to continue working on it. I am excited to see how this will work out and what direction our research will be heading!

My experiences in Geneva were invaluable. I gained independence, motivation, and self-assurance. In my research, I was trusted and given the freedom to test my ideas and explore my interests. Merely living in another country proved to be a learning experience in and of itself. My French improved immensely, as did my cooking. I lived in an apartment with three roommates from Europe and northern Africa. This cross-cultural living experience was one of many great opportunities provided by EuroScholars. The memories and friendships I made while studying in Geneva will last a lifetime.