Learning abroad in Norway gave Kelsey Navis a new outlook on life.
CBS undergraduate Kelsey Navis hoped learning abroad would expand her horizons and prepare her for a career in healthcare. A semester in Oslo, Norway gave her exactly that, along with a few life-changing lessons from her Norwegian classmates and friends along the way. “They very much value their leisure time and experiencing and enjoying life,” said Navis. “That really rubbed off on me, as someone who is always so go, go, go. That was very eye-opening to actually think about enjoying my life and having time for myself.” Embracing more personal time in Norway, Navis decided to change career paths after returning to the United States. She plans to become a physician’s assistant. In this field, she sees the opportunity to offer patient care, while also having more time for personal interests and travel. Spending time in Norway not only prompted Navis to change her career goals, but also gave her the opportunity to engage classmates in conversations that gave her another life aspiration. “I studied abroad and I realized how pivotal education is to having opportunities and how many of my friends said over and over that they wished that they could have gone to school in the United States,” says Navis. “That was something I had never thought about.” As she reflected on these conversations, Navis discovered her passion for working against educational inequality in the United States. She will turn that passion into action this fall when she starts a post-graduation position with Teach for America as a secondary science teacher in San Antonio, Texas. She plans to teach there for at least two years before going back to school. “I really think it’s a good place for me to bring my passion for science and teaching and different cultures all together,” Navis says. While pushing her toward these new career options, studying in Oslo also gave Navis some tools to prepare for her future in medicine and education. “When I was abroad, I didn’t speak Norwegian, I didn’t know anything about the city I was in, but you learn to adapt pretty quickly,” Navis says. “I think that’s a skill in healthcare, in teaching and life in general that is really going to benefit me.” – Lance Janssen |
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