Kaylin Daoud '25 wants to be a neonatal surgeon and has accelerated her education while in Copenhagen. At the same time, she's also been exploring the humanity of Denmark – one portrait at a time.
Kaylin is taking a biology course that counts toward her major. In fact, Copenhagen is an attractive study abroad destination for biology students for that very reason. But, Kaylin also has the flexibility to take a philosophy course and a photography course. The latter has been perhaps the most revealing.
Her teacher, who is also a photographer, took the students into the center of the city. That's not usual for the photography class, or any class. Every Wednesday is field trip day, and all classes will take a turn outside of the classroom (and sometimes outside of the country). But on this particular photography assignment, they were shooting in Copenhagen. The students were prompted to shoot "aspects of human life" which meant museums and buildings were off limits. Near the end of class, the professor offered one more wrinkle. "Take a portrait of a stranger. You have 10 minutes."
"There was a big square next to where we had set up for class. There were a ton of people there and one girl looked approachable. I explained I was a photography student and she was gracious enough to let me take her picture."
Kaylin only had a passing interest in photography before the class, but she's found a new passion and a new perspective. She's seeing Denmark through a different lens and she's finding the humanity (remember, that was the assignment) by taking pictures of strangers. The first one was for a grade; she hasn't stopped (below). Beyond the education and life lessons she's learned through photography, she's also gaining an edge in her career. Her biology class took a trip to a hospital in Odense, about a two-hour drive from Copenhagen, and met with doctors.
"I thought it was awesome. We got to talk to doctors and ask questions. I'm learning about a healthcare system much different than ours, and that's been a great experience. We're also being exposed to different areas of medical practice through hands-on workshops. I wouldn't have had these opportunities as an undergraduate if I didn't study here."
In the 6th grade, Kaylin heard the word "neonatologist" and thought it sounded cool. She hasn't wavered since. Kaylin is enrolled in Siena's LECOM program, which assures early acceptance into the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine program. Many pre-med students are wary to explore study abroad and certainly picking the right program matters. For Kaylin, though, her semester in Denmark has fueled her passion for medicine and opened the door to new opportunities. Plus, she's developed a new passion. Smile for the camera when you see her back on campus in the spring.
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