Molly is ecstatic about her upcoming internship in South Africa

Hi! My name is Molly Miller, and I am a junior double-majoring in economics and human rights. I have been interested in South Africa’s social issues since I was a freshman in high school and I saw Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak in Hartford about peace and racism. As a freshman in college, I was thrilled to learn that UConn has a program in South Africa, and I learned more about the country’s continuing struggles with inequality and discrimination last year in my human rights classes. I think that there are very interesting parallels between the United States and South Africa, especially with regards to problems like xenophobia and racism, and I wanted to learn more about what’s being done to solve those problems in South Africa. I was completely ecstatic to learn that I would be seeing that type of work firsthand this spring as a student in Cape Town and as a volunteer at an organization that helps immigrants and refugees transition into life in South Africa in the face of growing xenophobia. I grew up learning that Africa was a continent full of war, poverty, and majestic lions, and I hope that I’ll return to the United States in June with a more correct understanding of South Africa, its history, and its people, as well as a more globally-informed understanding of the societal issues in the United States.