“Remember the places that call you. Do not be discouraged if you cannot go today because you just may end up there sometime in the future. Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have studied, lived, and worked in every place I said I would. Facebook memories remind me that this is the truth!”
Seasoned study abroad alumni Bintu Musa-Harry has an extensive list of experiences overseas, all of which have positively impacted her personal and professional growth. When Bintu first began her study abroad journey, she initially wanted to study in Panama and South Africa because of her interest in Central America and the Caribbean as well as Afro-Latino history, culture, and black diaspora. Now a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State, Bintu has attained her goal of traveling for a living while contributing meaningful change.
Bintu’s first study abroad experience took place in the summer of 2008 in Alcala Spain where she studied Spanish for a month; an opportunity that paired well with her double major in political science and international studies and Spanish minor. It was on one particular day that Bintu discovered her growing desire to learn through travel and exploration through the delicacies of a local pasteleria.
“During the afternoon siesta, I would walk home to chat with my host family and then head back to school. Every day on my way back to class, I would stop by a different store and purchase a snack or dessert. I remember one day feeling this excitement as I walked by a Pasteleria and decided to walk in,” Bintu recounted, “in that moment, I realized the thought of not knowing everything about a place and what I could discover, excited me. I marked that day as the day I would keep traveling and discovering the unknown.”
Spain was a jumping off point for Bintu. In her last semester at Towson University, Bintu had the opportunity to intern abroad with the U.S. Embassy in Guyana. Initially unsure of whether she would be able to take advantage of the opportunity, Bintu took great comfort in the support she received from TU. With help from the Political Science Department and International Studies advisor, Bintu devised a plan that enabled her to complete the internship in Guyana, meet her minimum full-time student requirements and graduate on time.
In the summer of 2012, two years after graduating, Bintu finally made it to Panama. With a growing market for English language teachers and such rich Afro-Latino history, Panama was a great destination for Bintu to learn, grow, and give back. Originally planning to stay only six months to a year, Bintu ended up living in Panama for two years. Thanks to the teaching experience she gained during those two years, Bintu qualified for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Rwanda where she taught university students at Rwanda Tourism University College.
Rwanda was Bintu’s gateway back to Washington D.C. where she attended graduate school at American University. On top of her continued education, Bintu was awarded the prestigious Pickering Fellowship which prepares exceptional leaders for a career in the Department of State’s Foreign Service. Bintu currently serves as the Information Officer/Spokesperson for the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Prior to this, she served as a Consular Officer in the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince, Haiti.
For Bintu, studying abroad not only expanded her horizons during college but deeply impacted her life going forward. Bintu credits Ko Mishima’s international relations course at TU and Dr. Alison McCartney’s ICONS Simulation as catalysts for her academic growth and desire to pursue a career in international affairs and diplomacy which in turn led her down the path of studying abroad and eventually becoming a Foreign Service Officer.
Bintu is proof that with support and a concrete plan, you can make your study abroad goals a reality. “I know that for first generation students in particular, we may not have a lot of examples or encouragement from family and community, but you will become that example when you take that leap. Set the tone for the ones after you who need to see that it is possible to go anywhere in the big world!”
Studying abroad has the potential to open doors to life-paths students may have never even considered before. The prospect of studying abroad your senior year of college can seem impossible, especially if your experiences were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you find that you are unable to study abroad during your time at TU, the US Fulbright Program as well as various fellowships like the Pickering Fellowship are great resources to springboard your study abroad experience after college.