DIS Blog
Returning to Scandinavia with the help of a scholarship
Published
December 12, 2019
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Natalie Tikhonovsky, Furman University was a student at DIS Stockholm in the spring of 2019 and returned to Scandinavia for the Public Health Program at DIS Copenhagen in the fall.
“My time abroad at DIS Stockholm helped shape me into a global citizen of the world, one who can engage in meaningful cross-cultural exchange, examine issues from multiple points of view, and adapt to new settings,” says Natalie.
A dedication to global leadership
While studying with DIS Stockholm, Natalie received the Anders Urhskov Leadership Scholarship Award. The award was established in the name of the former director of DIS, Anders Uhrskov.
The Uhrskov award is given to students who have shown a dedication to global leadership through their education while abroad. With the award comes a scholarship of $10,000.
“It is a tremendous honor to have received the Anders Urhskov Scholarship. This scholarship has enabled me to extend my studies in Scandinavia for an additional semester, a place I have still much to learn about,” Natalie says.
“When I began college, I never thought I would study for two consecutive semesters in Scandinavia. Today, however, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and view my time in Scandinavia as the most influential experience during my college career.”
A unique healthcare system
Natalie is a public health major with an emphasis in global health. While at DIS Stockholm, she took the Public Health and Migration Core Course with faculty member, Rachel Irwin, who has glowing compliments for Natalie and her time as a DIS student.
“Natalie was a fantastic student. Very engaged and insightful, and contributed to the class environment,” Rachel says.
Now that Natalie has returned to Scandinavia, she is experiencing not only a new country but also a completely new Academic Program in Copenhagen.
The Public Health Program at DIS Copenhagen explores Denmark’s unique healthcare system that tracks population health to better inform policymaking. The program focuses on the rising cost and inequality of healthcare in Denmark and across Europe, especially in comparison to the U.S.
“The past spring semester exposed me to the many facets of global health and the wide range of professional opportunities in the field. Coming back to Scandinavia, I have been so excited to form new relationships with my fellow classmates at DIS Copenhagen during this fall,” Natalie shared.
With Natalie’s return to Scandinavia, she has also been lucky enough to experience the Scandinavian seasons in their glorious entirety.
“Since my semester in Stockholm ended in early May, I only got a glimpse of Scandinavia in the summertime, which I heard is breathtaking,” Natalie explained. “I was so excited to return to Scandinavia in August (this time to Copenhagen) and enjoy some warm, sunny days before fall.”