Bonderman Travel Fellowship

Heather Burkland

Photo of Heather Burkland

Public Health: Health Services

Graduate

2010 Fellows

Hometown: Fergus Falls, MN

Travel Locations: Morocco, Brazil, Haiti, Cambodia, India, Botswana, Micronesia

Heather is intrigued by places where cultures converge – places such as Morocco, Haiti and Cambodia. At the same time, she wants to learn more about cultures that have remained relatively untouched by globalization, including indigenous Amazonian rainforest people in Brazil and the !Kung in Botswana. Through her travels, Heather intends “to embark upon an exploration of people’s everyday lives so as to understand the depth and diversity of human experience across the world.” Several months of solo travel will give her opportunity for self-exploration, and “by better understanding my inner self, I will be able to more fully engage with community and offer leadership to the causes I care about.” Heather also plans to visit India and Ulithi, an atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia where her grandfather served in the Coast Guard.