Stephanie – Guatemala

May 21, 2025

Hello! My name is Stephanie Batayiannis (she/her) and I am currently going into my senior year at East Carolina University (ECU) as a nursing major. At ECU and within the College of Nursing (CON) I love getting involved in campus organizations. I hold the position of treasurer in three CON affiliations including Student Leadership Council, Holistic Health Organization, and East Carolina Association of Student Nurses. I am the Class Representative for my 2026 Spring graduating cohort, a Pirate Nurse Ambassador and a student nurse mentor. I am a founding member of the Global Fellowship Program here at ECU as well as a global fellow mentor. A unique fact about me is I am an out-of-state, first-generation college student and one of the first nursing intended members in my family.

I will be studying abroad on the Perspectives in International Community Health program to Guatemala with the ECU College of Nursing. We will be traveling to numerous locations in Guatemala including Antigua, San Miguel, San Felipe, Ciudad Vieja, and Santiago Atitlan. This trip is a 3-week language and cultural immersion program. We will be volunteering in a nutrition rehabilitation center, with local doctors in clinics, and other health tasks in public schools and community centers for women and children. We will be providing education on handwashing, safe drinking water, oral hygiene, nutrition, family planning, menstrual cycles and breast cancer awareness. I will be living with a host family, which will allow me to gain a deeper understanding of their cultural background, particularly the rich traditions of the Mayan culture. I’ll explore this through field visits to coffee plantations, excursions to the world’s largest Mayan market, and by participating in daily activities and events with my Guatemalan host family.

As an aspiring nurse, I am most looking forward to learning Spanish to help me build stronger connections with my current and future patients. I am also excited to immerse myself in a new culture and gain greater cultural competency, which is essential in providing respectful and effective care. I look forward to learning from the local community while exploring how to integrate my healthcare experience with their cultural and spiritual practices.

I am very excited to share my experiences with you while I am studying abroad in Guatemala, and I could not be more thankful to East Carolina University, Office of Global Affairs, and the College of Nursing for this opportunity.