Hi all! I’m Minori Hayakawa and this summer, I am headed to Argentina for the Plus3 trip. I am beyond excited and grateful for this opportunity. Last summer, I had a great time in Ireland, with the Global Honors Program. So, I am hoping this trip will be as, or if not, greater than last.

To write a little about myself, I am from Pittsburgh, PA (specifically Upper St. Clair), but I was born in Japan and grew up there until I was 8 years old. I love playing the violin and piano with my chamber ensembles. I am also a part of Pitt Tonight, the campus’s late night talk show, and I love being in that creative and welcoming community. Academically, I am currently undecided with my major, but hoping to pursue a minor in Economics and Mathematics and certificates in International Business and Data Analytics. I am also in Phi Beta Lambda, a professional business organization at CBA.

After studying abroad in Ireland, I found a new reason and a purpose to travel. My first study abroad experience inspired me more to get out in the world from a different perspective. Applying and seeing the concepts from the classroom has helped me understand and be more engaged with my time abroad.

This trip, I am very interested in the focused industry. In Argentina, we will be studying their healthcare management and systems. I had many reasons as to why I wanted to go to Argentina. First was that I have never been to South America and wanted to be in a new culture. The second reason comes from my first. My family and I are from Japan and we moved to Pittsburgh in 2008. Therefore, we have experienced the differences between the Japanese and American healthcare systems. To this day, my parents still compare the two when they take me to the doctors. For example, my parents always point out that in the United States, there are many nurses that see you before the doctor comes, while in Japan, one nurse does all before the doctor comes in. With my family’s many comparisons of the two cultures, I wanted to gain a new, different perspective on healthcare management. For instance, I want to see how Argentina’s culture affects healthcare. Learning a little about their healthcare system through the Pittsburgh Classes during this semester, have increased my curiosity in the different healthcare sectors that Argentina has. Specifically, I want to see the distinct difference between the private and public sectors.

My interested has always sparked in immigration law. As I was learning about the Ministry of Health for the presentation, I learned how migrants have a unique law in which they have legal rights of full access to all public services, including the public health and medical care. As Argentina has many numerous neighboring countries and as Buenos Aires is a very populated and diverse city, I hope that I get to see and learn more about that specific law and the unique situation that it creates for both the country and the immigrants.