StuCo Summer Fellows Selected

Lowers Yena Cho and Trishna Mohite and upper Nick Diao will partake in independent projects on migrant workers in Kunming, China, female feticide in India and schools in inner-city New York, respectively, as part of the Student Council (StuCo) summer fellowship program.Every summer, StuCo offers the Fellowship Program, a program designed to give rising uppers and seniors the opportunity to research in a particular area of study or participate in a community service project across the globe with the guidance of a faculty member. The program, currently in its third year, was started in order to allow Exonians to travel abroad without the financial burdens of transportation or living fees away from their home.In past years, Exonians have traveled to various destinations for a myriad of research topics. From the Philippines to Haiti to Antarctica, students journeyed, some with the full financial support of the Academy.To become a fellow, students fill out an application along with a teacher recommendation. In the application, students include the desired or estimated amount of money they will need during their program, and with the permission of the decision committee, students may be financially supported for the program they decide to participate in.Upper Robert Conner, who participated in the program last year and presented his work on Burmese refugees in Thailand during an assembly this year, said that each selected student has a faculty advisor they communicate regularly throughout their project. After the project, students create a presentation for an assembly. “Then the adviser helps each fellow fine tune the presentation they deliver to the whole school,” he said.Conner said that presenting a topic he had researched passionately for the entire summer benefited him significantly. “The program benefited me because it allowed me to showcase my interests and research to the whole school at assembly,” he said.Mohite said she felt that the program promoted some of the qualities the Academy emphasizes in its students, such as global awareness and intellectual curiosity.“This experience is in line with Principal Hassan's global experiential learning initiative and showcasing the work done by the Summer Fellows will highlight issues that will give the Exeter community a broader understanding of issues that they might not be familiar with,” Mohite said.Cho, who traveled to Kunming last year and volunteered in a migrant worker center, said that she will be travelling back to Kunming to revisit the topics she learned about last summer. “I wanted to go back to the migrant worker's center. I visited last year and this year I want to further delve into the problem of overpopulation and migration in Kunming using a more research-based method,” Cho said.Cho explained that she will further delve into these topics. “I plan to delve into the problem of overpopulation and migration in Kunming using a more research based method,” she said.Mohite, who will be traveling to India this summer, said that she will be exploring a concept prompted during the “Modern India” course she took this past winter term. She will research extensively into “The Socio-Political Landscape of Female Feticide in India.”“I have been following this topic prior to the ‘Modern India’ course I took winter term with Ms. Merrill. I am excited and thrilled that she agreed to be my advisor for the fellowship program,” Mohite said. “Female feticide is selective fetal termination based on gender and rampant in India, despite a ban by the Indian government.”Mohite hopes to understand the cultural undercurrents behind the practice. “This study is an attempt to understand the historical, religious and political context of this practice, the issues and why it is prevalent in 2014,” she said.Mohite explained why she decided to delve into female feticide in India.“This topic is personally relevant to me at various levels. Being a girl who is an only child in a family whose heritage is deeply rooted in India makes me question this practice. I have always straddled two worlds, the one I grew in and the other bound by kinship and my heritage,” she said.Upper Nick Diao will glimpse the conditions at New York’s inner-city schools in order to create a documentary. “I am planning on creating a documentary about struggling inner-city schools and the day to day lives of the teachers and students,” Diao said.Although the three students’ project topics and areas of focus differed, all felt that the project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity offered by the Academy.“I have not begun the actual process, so I can’t be absolutely certain, but I would still encourage other Exonians to apply for the fellowship,” Cho said. “It's just a great opportunity to spend time on a subject you're interested in, with the help of the Exeter community.”Cho said she has been fortunate to receive the support of the Academy community. “The program has not only given me a chance to go back to Kunming, but also given me a network of students and faculty members I can consult as the project unfolds which is very helpful,” she said. Mohite echoed Cho’s sentiments and added that with the voluntary nature of the fellowship, students will be able to research studies in their areas of interest. “The summer fellowship program offered by PEA is an amazing opportunity for every Exonian to bring in focus a cause or question they might have in context to the greater community through the lens of a high school student,” Mohite said. “This is another way that PEA supports and encourages intellectual curiosity.” Diao agreed and said that the fellowship allows students to gain valuable hands-on-experience. “The fellowship program is so important for the school; giving great opportunities for students to learn about areas that they wouldn't necessarily study in a classroom.”