Austin Demers enrolled at the University of Rhode Island planning to become a doctor. But then she traveled to India, learned to speak Arabic, captained the URI equestrian team, and experienced different cultures, communication styles, and ways of thinking. All of which opened up so many career options that she hasn’t yet ruled anything out.

Her journey started with a class on emerging infectious disease that expanded her view of medicine to global health care and the role culture and economics play in community health. To learn more, she traveled to India to observe surgeries, visit slum clinics, and talk to doctors who treat patients with AIDS and leprosy.

“Learning about leprosy was the most interesting part,” Austin said. “There is such a cultural stigma attached to it. The people are marginalized. They get the disease because of their circumstances, and it grows so slowly that by the time they realize they have it years down the road, it may be too late to reverse the damage.”

During her senior year, Austin spent time every week shadowing a pediatrician. But as she did, she found herself more interested in how the doctor communicated with her patients than in the diagnosis or treatment prescribed. “Science and medicine are all about questions and answer. It’s a way of thinking,” she said. “I’m growing more and more interested in science literacy and science communication.”

Her interest in communication grew after deciding to learn to speak Arabic, which she will continue studying this summer in Amman, Jordan. But she can’t seem to let go of her lingering interest in medicine. “I know that being a doctor would be amazing,” she says, “but I also see all sorts of other pathways I’d like to take. Maybe it will be medicine, maybe some other aspect of health care. So many things are possible.”