Hi everyone! My name is Iruni Munasinghe, and I’m from Lake Zurich, Illinois, about 40 minutes from Chicago. I am currently a freshman pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh – Oakland campus. My interest in nursing began to rise in high school when I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Nurses’ station in the ICU. I got firsthand experience talking with the nurses, and seeing how they interact with other medical personnel and the relationships they made with the patients really intrigued me. I do specifically have an interest in being an oncology nurse, maybe pediatric oncology, but I am still very open to seeing how these next few years in clinicals go, to see all the other specialties and figure out what I like. Eventually, I do want to become a Nurse Practitioner and become more involved in research for clinical cancer work!

This May, I’m so excited for this opportunity to go study abroad in the UK, specifically in Birmingham and London. I’m looking forward to experiencing the culture in Birmingham, one of the most diverse cities in the world, and seeing the differences in healthcare between the US and the UK. I can’t wait to spend time in this new country, make new memories with our UK group, and gain new experiences that will be valuable along my nursing journey!