Youth Voices: My first week at CIMMYT!

June 21st, 2024: I arrived at CIMMYT around 10:00 PM (22:00) where I checked into my room and ate supper. I have a suite in the Azteca building on site with my own bathroom and a kitchen in the center room! I read through the manuals to get to know the campus a little more and to get a better understanding of what times different buildings were open as well as services.

June 22nd, 2024: Since I came late on Friday night, I had the whole weekend to explore before starting my internship on Monday! I got a tour from Jean-Flavien Le Basque of CIMMYT. We explored the main building, the administrative offices, the research centers, the residence halls, the playgrounds, the shops and cafeterias, and so much more! After that I went to the gym, worked on research in a common area, and played soccer with a few PhD students there.

June 23rd, 2024: With it still being the weekend, I had plenty of time on my hands to finish getting settled in. I attended a livestream church in America, got breakfast, and visited the grocery store to get essentials for my room. The cafeteria here is around $2 USD for a meal which I think is very cheap compared to America! Although the campus is very well protected, people can also use UberEats to get food, the security will just check their identification before allowing them access in. Right next to my building there is also a pool that residents can use, a gym in the next building, several playgrounds for children, and basketball and tennis courts. There is so much to do on site! I also like taking walks around the fields and around the campus in the evenings...[CONTINUE READING]