World AIDS Day and Fall in the Northeast

December 1st, 2025

It's been a little more than three months since I left South Africa. Typing it out it's hard to believe. I am working to stay afloat academically amidst finals and to keep myself grounded while the world after graduation draws nearer. In a time of gratitude, I wanted to take a minute to share some of the learning I am grateful for this year.

Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. Awareness days like this one encourage us to remember the stories of those affected and consider how we can support those living with HIV across the globe, reducing new infections and making innovations available to all that need them. Learning about the history of the AIDS pandemic, I have come to appreciate more and more the value of compassion in times when we do not have all the answers. The National AIDS Memorial's Interactive AIDS Quilt is one example of the compassion and memory that we carry forward from the world before antiretroviral therapy. With more than 50,000 panels, the quilt collects some of the grief and care that has unfolded in the wake of the HIV/AIDS crisis into a massive artwork.

World AIDS Day 2025On 1 December WHO joins partners and communities to commemorate World AIDS Day 2025. Under the theme “Take the rights path: My health, my right!”, WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to champion the right to health by addressing the inequalities that hinder progress in ending AIDS.

Left: World Health Organization theme for 2025. Their message resonates with much of what I observed about the impacts of HIV and AIDS in South Africa and globally over the course of my Global Partners in Care internship. Cutting edge technologies and advancements in care require collaboration to reach those at the highest risk, but the barriers to equal access are steep.

Below:

In the water, fire/I'll go wherever you go

In the valley, canyon/I'll go wherever you go

In addition to World AIDS Day, I know it has been awhile since I last shared much of an update on other adventures. See below for some snapshots of the outdoor joys I shared with friends in September and October. Though much of my time is dedicated to schoolwork, I have also had the privilege of climbing outside in the mountains of New Hampshire (thanks to our guide for the photo), camping with some of my found family in Vermont, and teaching rowing on a foggy lake.

Life has been full and I continue to make new discoveries and nurture ongoing projects as I am able. At the end of October, I presented about my time in South Africa at Wellesley's Tanner Conference. Thank you to everyone that has helped to turn this time into one of connection and bounced around ideas about our recent, current, and future endeavors. Challenging times demand creative solutions.

With care,

Lillie

P.S. More anecdotes to come (eventually)!

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