Hi everyone! My name is Jordyn Bain and I’m a second-year student at Florida State University studying International Affairs and Economics. I grew up in Merchantville, New Jersey but I currently reside in Fort Myers, Florida. My academic and professional interests lie within the fields of human rights advocacy, civic engagement, and the rights of migrants and refugees.
This summer, I will be studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic through FSU’s International Programs. During my time in Prague, I will be conducting an independent research project focused on evaluating the effectiveness of local Non-Governmental Organizations that support Ukrainian Refugees. I am particularly drawn to this project due to my passion surrounding refugee protection and the war in Ukraine. This project allows me to explore these interests while raising awareness surrounding the plight of these refugees.
My community-based interest has always centered around helping those whose voices often go unheard—particularly displaced individuals and communities affected by war, discrimination, or economic instability. In Prague, I hope to learn more about how grassroots and nonprofit organizations operate in response to refugee and humanitarian crises, and what structural challenges they face in providing long-term support. I will be focusing on three organizations: Amity, The Organization for Aid to Refugees (OPU), and The Integration Centre Prague (ICP). I plan to analyze their goals, methodology, and the potential issues the organizations fail to address. By engaging with these groups directly, I aim to understand how international support is translated into local action, and how that action impacts real people on the ground.
This will also be my first time traveling outside the United States, and I am both excited and a little nervous. I am slightly apprehensive about conducting interviews in a cross-cultural setting. I want to make sure I’m approaching these conversations with sensitivity and respect, especially when discussing experiences of trauma and displacement. However, at the same time, I know this experience will help me grow both academically and personally. I am incredibly eager to immerse myself in a new culture, develop stronger communication and research skills, and build relationships with advocates working directly to provide aid to those who need it.
I expect the experience to be challenging, eye-opening, and deeply impactful. I hope to return home with a deeper understanding of international human rights and develop a clearer sense of how I can contribute to this field in the future. While there’s still a lot I don’t know, I’m approaching this summer with curiosity, humility, and a deep commitment to learning from those around me. Overall, I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study abroad, for the chance to conduct meaningful research, and for the support I’ve received from FSU in pursuing this project.
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