"GC will always hold a special place in my heart"
Unathi Mahlati的传记
主要
数学/科学占领
项目官员Unathi的旅程
- Appreciated the interaction among fellow students and people from diverse backgrounds as the result of a rich, international student culture at GC
- Developed and enhanced her research and writing skills that she uses everyday
- Second 南非n fellow recipient of the Wilton Mkwayi International Fellowship Program
- GC served as her 'home away from home' in providing a strong, supportive environment
- Held her very first job as a work-study student on campus
Venturing to an entirely new country presents its own challenges amid an array of excitement and opportunities.
Unathi Mahlati, 她接受了挑战, and her rich experiences have enriched every aspect of her life.
总部设在约翰内斯堡, 南非, Mahlati works as a program officer for Just Detention International-南非, an organization that seeks to end sexual violence in places of detention.
While many of her days involve coffee, maintaining the organization's presence on Twitter (@JustDetentionSA), and occasionally training officials of the Department of Correctional 服务 (DCS), her primary responsibility is highly dependent upon her research and writing, two valuable skills she attributes to her time at Garrett.
"My research and writing skills were honed at GC and I continue to use them every single day,她说.
"Although I'm no longer pursuing a career in the sciences, most of what I do involves a lot of research and writing – just more social,马赫拉蒂说. "I'm also able to interact with people from diverse backgrounds as a result of the rich international student culture I experienced at GC."
目前, she is in the process of drafting a research proposal for the DCS to begin work in women's prisons.
"Most of what we know about the dynamics of sexual violence in detention is based on research conducted in 南非's men's prisons, resulting in the disenfranchisement and invisibility of women inmates,马赫拉蒂说.
She is also very engaged in mobilizing psychosocial service providers for current and former inmates, a challenging process that involves delivering sensitizing trainings to the providers.
"This is challenging because of dwindling financial resources in many rape centers as well as an unwillingness of many organizations to work with inmates, who most view as an undeserving group,马赫拉蒂说.
在某种程度上, this unsympathetic view is understandable because 南非 is a country grappling with rising levels of violent crime. Another challenge in this country is that men as victims of sexual violence is still a taboo,她说.
Although it has been a difficult obstacle in convincing the public to be concerned about the wellbeing of inmates, Mahlati has discovered a deep appreciation and motivation in the midst of her day-to-day responsibilities.
"I absolutely enjoy the trainings and observing the shift in attitudes of participants,她说. "I also love engaging with the complex subject matter of prisoner rape and that I get to travel across the country, and sometimes outside the country."
Mahlati was the second 南非n fellow recipient of the Wilton Mkwayi International Fellowship Program to advance her studies in the United States. Her educational opportunity was made possible by a joint vision by former 澳门足球博彩官方网址 President Steve Herman and the Coalition for Effective Local Democracy (CELD), led by Garrett County residents Michael and Vianne Bell.
As she reflected upon her time at GC, Mahlati expressed both appreciation and sincere gratitude to several individuals:
"Michael and Vianne Bell – my host parents through the Wilton Mkwayi International Fellowship Program – whose warmth, love and support made 麦克亨利 feel like home; Kim DeGiovanni and Robin Swearengen of the Office of 记录 and 登记, where I held my very first job; Judy Carbone for her support, 指导, and making my integration into a foreign land seamless; and Terry Kasecamp and Peter Skylstand, for making me fall in love with psychology and biology, 分别."
After graduating from GC, Mahlati transferred to Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., graduating with a Bachelor's degree in neuroscience. She also pursued advanced media studies for a year, focusing on media as a tool for social change, at The New School in New York City prior to returning home to 南非.
"I have a friend in every corner of the world as a result – what an enriching, 令人瞠目结舌的经验!马赫拉蒂说. "Some of my best memories were made at GC and it will always hold a special place in my heart."
