Traveler Bio

Hey, my name is Hawa Tunkara! I am 21 years old and I am a native New Yorker. Growing up in the Bronx, some of my favorite things to do were visiting different restaurants that my friends recommend so that I could try a lot of new foods. I stayed in the city for school, and I am now studying economics at Barnard College.

Living in the city all of my life, I knew I had to take the opportunity to go study abroad and see new things. For my study abroad program, I traveled to India, South Africa, and Brazil for a semester to learn about different public health systems. I applied for and received a Gilman Scholarship to study health strategies, community well-being, and multiple factors affecting human health in the different contexts of each country. I really look forward to sharing this journey with you!

Want to know more about how you can study or intern abroad when you are a college student? The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Learn more about the scholarship by clicking here!