Shae Eckles is a fourth-year James Madison College student from Pinckney, Michigan, studying international relations with a minor in Science, Technology, Environment and Public Policy (STEPP). She is a communications intern in International Studies and Programs and a communications assistant for the JMC Communications and Marketing team. She is also the social media chair for the MSU Literature Association.

During my final semester here at Michigan State, I have been participating in the Madison Diversity Leadership Program as one of eleven cohorts. The Madison Diversity Leadership Program, commonly referred to as MDLP, fosters leadership skills, particularly for underrepresented identities by exploring electoral politics and activism. This program partners with Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) for a two-week intensive research program in India. MDLP cohorts also complete research on leadership theory or an internship throughout the spring semester.

As we anticipated our trip to India, I didn’t know what to expect for international travel. I had never been out of the country for more than a weekend trip to Niagara Falls. I was so worried about the travel time, how I would adjust to a country 10.5 hours ahead of Michigan, even how I would conduct meaningful research without any proficiency in Hindi. On the other hand, I couldn’t wait to jump right in and say “yes” to new experiences along the way. I also never imagined I’d see one of the Seven Wonders of the World in my lifetime, so I was beyond excited.

After around 24 hours of travel time, we arrived at PRIA’s facilities in New Delhi. My anxiety was eased by the amazing staff and coordinators at PRIA, who translated for us in the field, made our travel arrangements and even played volleyball with us in between classes. On all of our field visits and sightseeing, we always had PRIA team members Shruti or Joshi closeby for translation. They always knew what to say when additional cultural context was needed too, making the experience feel more familiar than I would have imagined. This assistance helped us feel at home 7,000 miles away.

Our program mainly consisted of field work, with sight-seeing opportunities scheduled depending on what areas we were visiting. Our time in New Delhi started with introductory courses on participatory research methods at PRIA. Next, we learned how to implement community building and youth empowerment into ultimate frisbee lessons, from programs Pro Sports Development and Y-Ultimate. We worked with domestic workers advocating for greater safety against gender-based violence and informal housing communities on sanitation efforts within their neighborhoods. This was followed by a sightseeing trip to Agra, to visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

For the remainder of our time, we traveled to the desert of Jodhpur and the surrounding rural villages in Rajasthan, learning how communities leverage NGOs and local governments for help meeting the needs of their communities—whether it be village sanitation, water conservation or education on seed coating and goat rearing within rural areas.

Our work in Rajasthan really shifted my perspective on leadership. Seeing firsthand how marginalized communities were able to make such drastic changes in in the areas of public health and safety, gave me hope. Two communities we met with had women serving directly as representatives in the Panchayat raj system, which is the local government. There is a falsehood that a leader must be the loudest person in a room, but a leader to me is someone who is able to organize seemingly small efforts towards large positive change in their community.

I am grateful programs like MDLP exist. I didn't think I was going to have a chance to study abroad but because I had this opportunity, I feel like I've gained important insights about leadership and empowerment while learning new forms of research. This experience already has me wanting to travel more. And the greatest part is because I've done it once, I am ready to do it again.