Hey everyone, my name is Seif El-Askary.

I’m currently majoring in Communication and have been thinking more seriously about getting into Health Sciences. I’m still figuring things out, but I’ve always been interested in how people connect with each other, especially in tough situations. That’s part of what drew me to this course.

I signed up for this trip because I wanted something more than just lectures or textbooks. I wanted to actually go somewhere with a real history of conflict and learn directly from the people who lived through it. Northern Ireland stood out to me because of the way it’s been through so much division, yet there are still people working every day to build peace. I want to see how they do that and what role communication plays in it.

On a personal level, I’m looking forward to learning through experience. I think it’s different when you’re standing in the places where things happened and talking to people face-to-face. I’m hoping this trip helps me grow and opens my mind in ways that a regular class can’t.

I think the hardest part for me might be taking in some of the emotional weight of what we’ll be learning about. It’s one thing to read about conflict, but being there and hearing people’s stories in person is probably going to be challenging. Still, I think those are the moments that will stick with me the most.

Thanks for reading. I’m really looking forward to the journey and everything that comes with it.