Research Has Begun

We are approaching our third week in Florence and our fourth week in Italy. The research has begun, and as a team we have conducted our first round of interviews. On Friday, we began to compare our initial findings. The interviews conducted so far have provided fascinating data and have led to findings worth exploring. We are eager to see what more we can learn. Due to our focus on women’s health, we have been recruiting women from all different backgrounds to represent various women from around Italy.

 . 

All throughout Florence, a Purdue student can be found posting flyers or trying to recruit women from various restaurants and shops. It has become second nature to walk into a store to shop but somehow find a way to mention our women’s health research. If we are lucky, we come across a woman who is interested in meeting for an interview. If not, at least we were able to create awareness about our work and inspire women to think about their health. It can be a bit of a challenge with the language barrier or the time commitment for an interview. Regardless of the challenges we may have to face, as Purdue students we have Boilermaker persistence and do not give up. We keep thriving and have optimistic spirits.

Through the process, our research has shaped us into a family. We have bonded over our love of traveling, women’s health, Purdue, homesickness, and our favorite inside joke: gelato. In the end, we support, help, and look out for one another in any situation, whether it is stressing about our workload or being homesick. We know that one of the others will always come to the rescue. Research is what brought us together and has created bonds, formed stories, and led to information that will impact the health of women across Italy. This opportunity has truly been an enriching experience and I look forward to the days to come and the chance to expand my knowledge.

This post was written by Anyia Clayton, a sophomore from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is majoring in Speech, Language and Hearing Science and pursuing a minor in Law and Society.