“I learned so much, not just about Indian culture, but also about myself. …I think [study abroad] improves foreign relationships with Americans … because often the only exposure they may have is raunchy TV and cultural stereotypes. It felt sometimes like I was an ambassador. Just to hear different perspectives on your own culture is valuable, too.”

- Kelly Fox, UW–Madison senior, from Wausau, WI

With host sister, Apurva

Kelly Fox is a senior with a triple major in religious studies, women’s studies and languages and cultures of Asia. She spent this past summer semester (8 weeks) living and studying in Pune, India. Kelly was the recipient of the Study Abroad Fund Scholarship.

What was your reason for going abroad?

I have always wanted to study abroad! I heard from other students about their experiences. With three majors, it was difficult to schedule during the academic year, so the summer program was perfect.

I am studying South Asia in school and have always been fascinated by the culture of India. I studied the Hindi language briefly and have a concentration in Asian religion. I wanted to experience the culture first hand.

Attending a Sikh wedding with friends, Pallavi (left) and Aditi (right)

Where did you stay (dorm, apartment, etc.) and what was it like?

I was really lucky to get placed with an awesome host family, and that was one factor that made my visit great. My hosts were an intergenerational family that included a widowed mother, her mother, her adult son and his wife; they wanted to take me everywhere and show me everything. It was really great. I was close to my host mother’s daughter-in-law, who was near my age. We spent a lot of time together.

While you were there did you do an internships, volunteer work, etc.?

I did a directed research project that focused on Hindu revivalism among youth. I spent a lot of time with people my age, looking for general trends in the way young people practice their religion.

At the wedding with friends, Greg, Mike, and Eddie (other U.S. students on the program)

What was the most invaluable experience you had in India?

May I give three?!

1) Meeting other students from across the U.S. that were all really passionate about learning a new culture.

2) Living with a host family and getting to experience their culture first hand

3) The 3-day orientation in Durshet before we arrived in Pune. This helped me learn how to appreciate the culture, and provided guidelines for behavioral expectations. Also, I had a chance to recover from jet lag.

What was the most challenging experience you had there? Why?

Gender inequality in general. It’s harder to be female there.

It wasn’t really safe for me to travel alone. I had to be covered all the time, even when it was hot. No public bathrooms for women. Sexual harassment.

I talked to my host family about the caste system. They have a live-in maid who is an untouchable, but they are really good to her. Still, she couldn’t eat with us; she had to eat by herself. The relationship was good but they made sure she knew her place. Almost all poor people and beggars were in the lowest caste. It was hard to see.

As a foreigner, I was outside the caste system, so I experienced the gender inequality more.

At a Hindu wedding with friend, Prajakt

What languages did you need there? Do you feel proficient in any other languages than English?

Hindi is the national language. Marathi was the local language. A lot of middle class families use English, which was fortunate for me. I had taken only one semester of Hindi.

How do you think your experiences in India will help you after you graduate? Do you plan on returning there?

The experience helps me to be more reflective about my own culture. Being in India made me realize how critical human rights are. It’s hard to forget about the social issues and injustices. Definitely validated my worldview: women’s rights and human rights issues are important. Coming back I experienced reverse culture shock. Long hot showers are a luxury and privilege that many people in the world don’t have. I also think it really complimented my studies … first hand experience … now I can speak with more certainty.

What advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling to India?

In my sari, again with Greg, Mike and Eddie

Don’t go with any expectations! There is a different sort of mentality. We are really Americans, worried about organization, structure and deadlines. These things are not as important there as are relationships. For example, I would arrange to meet someone and they would show up 2½ hours late. It wasn’t always possible to maintain a schedule. I had to be flexible, patient and relaxed. Females have to dress modestly; we wore Indian clothes to blend in more. You have to be prepared for some shocking things such as child beggars.

I miss Indian food! I miss my Indian family!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Oh man. I would like to go to graduate school. After that, perhaps teaching at the college level or working at an NGO, or doing research of some sort.

Please tell me about any additional memorable moments you had abroad.

My first meal with my host family was both funny and embarrassing. In India you can only eat with your right hand because the left is impure. I was served rice in a little bowl that I was supposed to spread over my plate to show that I had a substantial serving. If your food is spread over your plate, it looks like there is more. Without knowing this, I ate my rice out of the little bowl, which suggested to my host that I did not have enough to eat.

With students from Epiphany School

Another time, my host mother was trying to describe for me a friend who was a dancer. She compared her friend to a little elephant. I thought she meant that her friend was plump, and chuckled, but in India, an elephant is reverenced … considered beautiful and auspicious. It was a compliment.

What would you say to a prospective donor, to encourage his or her support of the Study Abroad Fund?

Study abroad is an invaluable experience that makes you more reflective and open minded. An opportunity that people should have, especially college students. Gets us out of our niche. I learned so much, not just about Indian culture, but also about myself. The study abroad experience fosters great relationships. I feel like my host sister became one of my best friends. I think this improves foreign relationships with Americans through me, because often the only exposure they may have is raunchy TV and cultural stereotypes. It felt sometimes like I was an ambassador. Just to hear different perspectives on your own culture is valuable, too. The war, American media – just to see the diversity of ideas around the world.

Did you receive financial assistance to help fund your study abroad experience? What difference did that make in your plans?

I had saved money for this, and my parents helped, but that extra $500 really did matter.

Will Naythons is a senior majoring in Languages and Cultures of Asia (LAC). Naythons spent last year abroad in Vietnam through the International Academic Programs.

This past summer he returned from a year abroad in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Will Naythons

Why did you decide to study abroad?

I really was looking to go abroad to immerse myself in another language and culture. I wanted to learn Vietnamese and one of my professors, Donald Davis, told me I really needed a year to immerse myself and commit to the language study.

Where did you stay (with a family, residence halls, etc.) and what was it like?

I stayed in a dorm. It was a real mix of ages, cultures, backgrounds, and academic focuses. Everyone, young or old was there to study. It was an eclectic group.

What were you doing while there (studying, internship, etc.)?

I arrived early, before classes started and found a job. It was at a newspaper in Saigon. I worked as a reporter and copy editor. I did some great stories about a boxing gym in Saigon and the people who work and train there.

When you weren’t studying or working, what did you do in your free time?

I would explore the city. I’d try to get out to the edges and work my way back in, exploring neighborhoods and lesser known areas. Sundays were the best. In a city of almost 10 million people, everyone was outside. You would look up at the sky and you couldn’t see any blue. The sky was filled with shark kites; it was a sky of kites.

What was the most invaluable experience you had in HCMC and possibly Vietnam in general?

I’d probably say it would be learning from the Vietnamese people. The new perspective I gained couldn’t have been reached anywhere else. I met some Vietnam War veterans who were missing limbs. They’d say to me, “America did this to me,” yet they were happy and not bitter toward America. They love America. They have put the past behind them and are all working toward further development of the country.

Will and Friend

What was one of the most challenging experiences you had there? Why?

Well I knew as soon as I stepped off the plane that Vietnam was the right place for me. A challenging part was learning the language. It was one thing to learn in a classroom but a whole other experience when a native of Vietnam was speaking quickly with you in a busy market. Even though those situations were uncomfortable, I tried to put myself in those spots so I could really pick up the language and interact within Vietnamese culture.

Where you able to travel around and/or outside of Vietnam? Where did you go?

I spent a lot of my time in and around Saigon, but I lived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for two months as well. It was such juxtaposition between the two cities. [Saigon] Ho Chi Minh City was always going at 150 miles per hour while Phnom Penh trotted along around 30. Every day was a Saturday.

How did you afford a study abroad experience?

I knew I had to find work when I got to Vietnam. Thankfully I found an opportunity with the newspaper and was able to work almost every day.

What languages did you need there? Do you feel proficient in any other languages than English?

I started with Vietnamese six months before I left for my year abroad. It was really great being able to practice it so much in such a nature setting, no matter how uncomfortable situations may have been. My language skills truly benefitted from social and cultural immersion that you can only find when you’re abroad.

How do you think your experiences in Vietnam will help you after you graduate? Do you plan on returning there?

It was special to live in a place that was always on the move; construction everywhere, busy streets, and economic growth. Everyone had a plan for the future and they were all hard working and loved their country. It was cool to see people’s reactions to the country’s change. It made me proud to be living there and in the midst of such transformation.

I also traveled by myself quite a bit. I think that was very beneficial for me because I got to have genuine conversations with locals and people in the country sides. These may not have fabricated if I were with someone that could only speak English; another benefit to learning a second language.

Monk in Vietnam this past summer

What advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling to Vietnam?

I would say that there is a unique and limited window for traveling to Vietnam. In about 10-15 years, the country will be a different place; the feel of the city (Saigon) will have changed. There are so many outside influences and on a local and national level, they want Saigon to be a developed city by 2050. We could have another Shanghai-like city in the near future.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

In Vietnam! I’m definitely going back. I will be applying for a Fulbright Scholarship to return to Vietnam and study there. I also have contacts and a few potential jobs lined up for when I return. This experience of living abroad has changed my life and really given it focus.

By Flannery Geoghegan, Division of International Studies

Helen spends free time with the kids at the orphanage

This past summer, Helen Beckner, an International Studies major and a sophomore at UW-Madison took time out to travel. Helen’s travel was a bit more unique than most. Through the help of the Latin America, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies (LACIS) department, Helen was able to fund a two-week volunteer trip to the Dominican Republic. Helen, along with a small group, went to an orphanage in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, about forty miles from the Haitian border, to teach English to orphans. The program was called Orphanage Outreach. Helen was kind enough to share her story:

On August 14, 2010, I sat at my gate where I would board my flight to Santiago, Dominican Republic and watched all of the tourists getting ready to board their flights to other Caribbean islands where they would most likely spend a week or two at a luxurious resort on the beach. A woman I met at the gate had friends and family in the Dominican Republic. She was telling me, “you have to go to Cabarette beach and the Omega concert; don’t forgot to drink Presidente beer; go to this and that bar; and don’t be freaked out about how Dominican women wear a short dress and heels to go grocery shopping … ” She said all of this before I could tell her that I was actually working at an extremely modest Pentecostal Orphanage in Monte Cristi, which is located about an hour away from the Haitian border, far from the popular tourist spots in the country. Even though I was coming to the Dominican Republic as a foreigner, on this trip I was not a tourist, rather I was to be a teacher for two weeks for the children of the orphanage Hogar de la Esperanza de un Niño, and for its school in the outskirts of Monte Cristi.

Volunteers and students from the school in Monte Cristi

The Dominican government has been sponsoring orphanages since the 1970s. After the assassination of dictator Trujillo in 1961, there were many internally displaced persons, especially children who no longer had family as a result of Trujillo’s extermination of thousands of individuals who opposed his policies. The country wants to keep its reputation as a developing country, not a third world country. So, the government made a policy of developing institutions to care for its orphans rather than having them be put up for an adoption and be taken away by foreigners. The Monte Cristi orphanage was founded in 1981 by a Dominican Pentecostal pastor. In 1994, Orphanage Outreach founder Tom Eklund was working with a medical missions group, Flying Doctors of America, when he and a small group of volunteers from Atlanta visited the orphanage and decided to sponsor it, establishing the Orphanage Outreach organization for that purpose. Today, the orphanage’s basic needs such as food, simple healthcare, and utilities are funded by the Dominican government. The Orphanage Outreach organization and the volunteers provide funding for everything else.

There are about forty-five children in the Monte Cristi Orphanage ranging from three to eighteen years old. Some children are there because both of the parents have passed on, but other children still have living parents. Some parents give up their children due to poverty. Forty-two percent of the country is at poverty level, which means a household income is less than two American dollars per day. If the parents cannot financially support their children, they give up one child or both. Sometimes a family will send the son to the orphanage to be educated and well raised, while the daughter helps out in the home. Other parents may not see a female as having much value around the house, so they send their daughter to the orphanage. Some orphanage children have prostitute mothers, who cannot provide for the child. Some orphans have an STD, such as HIV, or a mental or physical disability that the family does not want to handle. The volunteers are not told of each child’s history for fear that knowledge would lead them to show preferential treatment.

Morning walks through a typical street in Monte Cristi

When I arrived in the Dominican Republic I developed a daily routine. I woke up naturally around 5:45 a.m. because that is when the sun starts to rise and the scores of roosters in the neighborhood start to sing. I would run several miles to the beach and back with a few of the older Dominican boys and a couple volunteers. Breakfast was at 8 a.m. From 8:30-9:45 a.m. we would organize and clean the almacén, which was a huge storage facility for all of the donations and teaching supplies for the children. We would teach from 9:45-11:30 a.m. Right after lunch until 2 p.m., we planned and prepared the next day’s lesson. We planned exercises to do and games to play. We made coloring books, flash cards, or workbooks for the children to facilitate their learning. At 2 p.m., we drove to the English institute to paint and fix it up to get ready for the opening of school. We did this until about 4:30 p.m. Our free time was devoted to playing with the kids at the orphanage. The schedule may sound monotonous, but it’s really not. There was always something new I learned, and I made several intriguing observations about the children and the culture in the Dominican Republic.

People in the Dominican Republic truly live in the moment. The Pentecostal church service in the Dominican Republic was like a community gathering and not particularly formal. When the pastor began the service, there were motorcycles blazing on the streets outside, members of the congregation were still having small conversations with their neighbors, the instrumentalists were testing the mic, and someone was still tuning his electric guitar. While the children were singing hymns, the instruments (especially the tambourines and the clapping) were overpowering the voices with the microphone occasionally screeching. To make up for it, the clergy screamed the words of the song. Some may call this service dysfunctional, but I was enjoying everyone’s company and the happy vibes in the room and was truly engulfed in my surroundings.

Another observation I made was that the Dominican Republic is like what our world must have been forty or more years ago. Children and adults in the Dominican Republic do not necessarily have the things we take for granted. Some Dominicans do not even have a radio, and some news still spreads by word of mouth. For example, Monday, August 16 was the first day of school nationwide, but for some reason, it is a “Dominican custom” to not show up for the first day of class. The usual reason children do not attend school the first day is because the families do not know that school has actually started. People find out that school has started only a few days later, and then they start buying uniforms and school supplies, and the children begin to attend. This year, the first day of school was also the first day in office for the recently elected executive board. On the first day a new government body is in power, there can be riots and demonstrations in the street, as we saw first-hand. So it might not have been safe to send children outside of their homes on the first day of school this year. On the first day we taught in Monte Cristi, there were only four children in the classroom when we arrived. While we started teaching, our program leader drove his pick-up truck through fields and country roads to “find” children. Bryson said to the kids he found playing outside, oblivious to the fact that school had opened, “Come on in, it’s time for school!” Excited, the kids hopped in the back of the truck. He returned with at least a dozen children.

Despite the children’s lack of resources, parenting, and technology, I could see that these children were intelligent, imaginative, appreciative of what we had to offer, and eager to learn. The Orphanage Outreach staff say that there is “a hero within” each and every one of these children. The staff and the volunteers encourage these children to open up, step out of their comfort zones, be leaders, and take risks to improve their lives. The children in the Dominican Republic have huge imaginations in spite of the fact that they have few toys. We went to a small community called Jaiqui, twenty minutes down a dirt road off the highway, to run a week-long summer camp. At first the volunteers felt a little awkward at being complete strangers appearing all of a sudden out of a 1970s Toyota bus carrying musical instruments, balls, board games, and suitcases of coloring books. However, once the children saw us they immediately smiled and jumped right in with what we had to offer. They started using a beach ball to play Hot Potato. Some people found an old table top, some nails, and a net to make a basketball hoop on a tree. We ended up having a big game of basketball with adults and kids.

Everyone loves the limbo

Since these children have such a great imagination, they start to learn things “poco a poco”. This expression that Orphanage Outreach uses is the way the children at the orphanage learn English. Outside of the classroom, the kids would learn most of their conversational English from the volunteers who come to play with them. We teach them songs, read storybooks to them in English, even use some Spanglish while playing a game to slowly introduce kids to new words. In the classroom we would present a vocabulary theme of the week (i.e. animals). Each day we would give out ten animals. We had pictures of them on the board with the names in English and in Spanish. We would give the students handouts with the Spanish names of the animals and ask them to copy the name in English. We spent the first half of the class having the kids practice and recognize the pronunciation of each of the words. During the second half of the class, we would play games like matching, Pictionary, and Bingo to help apply their learning. With this “poco a poco” teaching method, some children make huge progress.

When orphans turn eighteen, they technically age out of the orphanage system. However, this does not mean that the orphanage is going to send them away. The staff tries to help these young adults explore a few options for their future. For example, they can go to University. In order to do that they must get their GED, pass a Rossetta-stone English class, and pass a typing class. Some kids can get involved working at a resort or with the tourist industry or they could do physical labor work at a farm or a factory. During my stay, a sixteen year-old girl named Carolina left to live in the U.S with a host family and attend high school in Pennsylvania. She is a huge role model for the other orphans because she is a real-life example of someone who kept studying and practicing her English everyday to get where she is now. Christopher, an eighteen year old, reflecting on what Carolina had accomplished, said he wanted to keep writing and practicing English so he could study abroad in Washington D.C and then return to the Dominican Republic and get a professional job. Carolina’s accomplishments show that going to the U.S. is not just a dream, it is an attainable goal.

As volunteers, we bring our talents and share them with these children in the Dominican Republic. This experience is not about us and how we are “changing” these kids. We are simply serving as their companions for a time and opening up what is out there for them in the larger world. Unfortunately, none of the volunteers can be permanent guardians for these kids. Although the children are sad to see us leave, they seem to appreciate every new friend and every little moment they have with the volunteers. These kids live in the moment, and in that moment they utilize everything that is in front of them to its greatest extent. As Orphanage Outreach volunteers, we wanted to help the children realize their dreams and, “poco a poco,” slowly release the hero within.

Story and photos submitted by Helen Beckner.

The Division of International Studies invited students who were in Egypt on study abroad programs to reflect on their time during the recent unrest within the country. Antoinette Pick-Jones is a senior political science and economics major, who went abroad on the IFSA-Butler and Middlebury University program through the International Academic Programs (IAP) office. Antoinette shares her experiences while in Egypt early this week.

Antoinette Pick-Jones

These entries were taken from Antoinette’s blog:

January 29, 2011

I woke up this morning without Internet or cell phone service. The ability to communicate within the country and to people outside of the country has been completely cut off all day. It has left us with a feeling of anxiety and paralysis as we wanted to be in contact with at minimum family in the US as well as each other in case of an emergency. Our grocery shopping plans were canceled and we were asked to return to our neighborhood by the police. The city of Alexandria was eerily calm this morning before noon prayers. The riot police trucks were lined up ready for protests to begin; however, there were hardly any people on the streets. We returned to our neighborhood and grabbed some lunch. News came from the resident director that protests had begun and teargas was fired at the protesters. We went back to our apartments and began watching the news. After being in Cairo for over two weeks, it was shocking to see the never-ending barrage of teargas and fires being set every minute. Watching the live shots of protesters attacking the riot police on the 6th of October bridge gave me the feeling that I was watching a sporting event with the commentator giving a play by play description in the background. At one point, my roommates and I clapped when the protesters took over a riot police truck.

After resting for about an hour and a half, I woke up to my roommates saying things had gotten crazy. In fact, the city of Cairo looked as if it was closer to Baghdad than to the cosmopolitan city it is. The jewel and gateway to the Middle East had changed overnight. Soon our resident assistant came over to make sure that we were all okay; however, the guy students were missing—caught in the protests. Thankfully we all were able to be reunited at the girls’ apartment. It was nice to be together as a group and watch the overview of the events that had so quickly unfolded during the day. News came that the President would be addressing the nation; however, the protests continued to escalate, and the ruling party’s building was set ablaze in Cairo. Watching the news has been very surreal. Even as our relatives and friends have been worrying about our safety here, so have we been on high security alert. The feelings we have vary so much from excitement for the people of Egypt to feeling that we have lost so much freedom while here—no Internet, cell phone service, limited freedom of movement. However, this feeling of lost freedom does not compare to anything that the people of Egypt have experienced and continue to experience. As an American, I cannot explain how valuable my freedom has become to me after living here. Even as America has its problems, we are possibly the most free people in the world.

I cannot say that it is America’s responsibility to do anything to bring about the freedom of the Egyptian people; however, it is our responsibility to support people worldwide in their quest to attain freedom. The Egyptians are sick of being slaves to an oppressive system, and today they have showed us that they will no longer be slaves to the system. Buildings are burning, but the Egyptians are standing strong. They remain solidified in their quest to bring change to Egypt, but at the same time are solidified under their pride as Egyptians. The final shot of Cairo I have seen tonight is of the Egyptian people protecting the precious antiquities at the Egyptian Museum from fire and looters—Egyptians hold on to the parts of the past they hold dear as the parts of the past they abhor burn to the ground.

January 31, 2011

Things have quickly escalated since I last wrote. Two nights of loud gunshots and civil unrest. The military came into our neighborhood yesterday even as our neighbors were protecting the streets with large sticks and machetes. Thankfully they kept looters from stealing anything; however, just a few blocks away in the guys’ neighborhood, the military had to set off fire grenades and the boy students were locked in their apartments scared as the building security locked down their building using mattresses and Molotov cocktails. At our apartment we could only sit and wait as we heard pops of gunfire in the distance. We went to sleep more at ease than the night before with our program director staying the night with us.

Today we were woken up—evacuation day. It was a surprise because it happened so suddenly; however, at the same time we knew that it was a possibility. We were told to start packing, we would be evacuated shortly. There was no time to worry about anything except fitting all of our things into the suitcases we stuffed in order to get into Egypt. We packed hastily and waited for the boys to hurry. If someone were to watch our group together waiting to evacuate, they would have laughed as we posed for photos on our “magic carpet” and rapped in the lobby of our building. Stress levels escalated when the “evacuation vehicles” arrived. Well, I should really say it was one vehicle, not the plural. One microbus, as in a van, for how many people? For 14 people—didn’t happen. However, they did manage to stack 14 suitcases on the roof of the van and after negotiations and Egyptians chatting back and forth for about one hour. We rolled through the city, roadblock by roadblock; we finally made it to the main road just to be stopped by military roadblocks. The roads were filled with garbage. We finally made it to the airport. Just when we were about to be done with our crazy ride, I was mistaken for an Egyptian woman and asked to open the bus window. Thankfully our resident director assured the military that I was just an American student. Hopefully that was the last time I will be mistaken for an Egyptian. I am sitting in the airport now. We bought the rest of the food here, Galaxy chocolate bars and Mars candy bars. Happy evacuation day!

- By Antoinette Pick-Jones, Senior Political Science and Economics Major

“You can’t just stay in and study all the time. If you don’t get to know people on an intimate level, you won’t really experience the culture. You cannot be afraid of getting harassed or of the stereotypes. Until you get to know the Egyptian people, the stereotypes feel true, but when you get to know them, their guard comes down. We are a lot alike.”

Mona, me, and my roommate Shaimaa

Katrina Gray is a senior majoring in African Languages and Literature. She set out for the University of Alexandria in August 2010 for a full-year study abroad program. But in late January 2011, she was one of three UW–Madison students evacuated from Egypt when riots erupted.

Here is her story, recorded from a recent interview at Memorial Union. Katrina is back on campus for the spring term.

What was your reason for going abroad?

I am studying Arabic, so I wanted to study abroad in an Arabic-speaking country in an immersion program. Egypt is important in the Arab world because they produce a lot of media such as music, movies, news, and their slang is widely understood.

Where did you stay? What was it like?

For the first semester, I lived in a dorm with both American and Egyptian roommates at the University of Alexandria, which is on the coast of the Mediterranean. The Egyptian roommates were wonderful; they were always there for us to practice our Arabic, since speaking English was forbidden, and to show us around town. My roommate was Shaimaa, a medical student.

After several months, I moved into an apartment with two other American students. We had to deal with things such as grocery shopping, negotiating rent, and getting services … definitely a real life experience! Things went well, but it was challenging. Having done this in Egypt, I can do it anywhere!

What was your experience when the protest riots broke out?

January 28th protesting, Alexandria

January 24 (Police Day, a national holiday): My close Egyptian friends said that the protests would last two hours, would amount to nothing, and then would be forgotten. But they were wrong!

January 25: I was in a café watching the protests. Things seemed peaceful and people were excited, but were not getting their hopes up. They were not afraid of the riot police pushing them around.

January 26-27: Not much was happening in Alexandria, but we were aware of the news in Cairo. Our program directors were asking us to stay away from the protests. We lost Internet use.

January 28: No Internet and no phone service. TV news was saying that nothing was happening. To be under the power of a dictator … it was, crazy! Like the news was from a different planet. The protests got bigger and the crowds were extremely euphoric. People were looking out for one another. The riot police had left, so I felt safe. The army came in and was sympathetic.

The Egyptians are a communal people and I was accepted into their community. I really miss that. They are very welcoming and hospitable. As the days wore on, people were sharing food with one another.

January 31: We (30 American students) were given instructions for our evacuation. We had to find our own way to the airport, then waited 36 hours for the planes that had been chartered just for us by the State Department. We were flown to Prague and from there, went our separate ways home. I did not get home until February 2; it was a long trip.

Can you share a meaningful experience?

During the evacuation process, my roommate and I were trying to get our stuff to the airport … two girls, six suitcases, and one cat. We had to drag all of this down the street to catch a cab. Our neighborhood had formed a Neighborhood Watch (5 men armed with sticks and clubs) to protect us. I asked them to help drag our stuff, but when we came down, they had two cars waiting to drive us to the airport, so we would be safe. This involved three neighbors and two cars. Our driver was very religious and would not take us in his car without his wife going along, so she had to get dressed and ready, too. He said, “We don’t love the Americans because of their government, but it is our duty to be kind to them. Go back and tell them this about us.”

A group of us girls at our favorite fresh juice stand, we went there almost every day.

Crossing the street was like playing a real life game of Frogger. There are cars, and there are pedestrians, and there are no traffic rules, signals, stop signs, or speed limits. You just have to make your way across the street one lane at a time, dodging one car, then the next.

There is no toilet paper. Period. At first, I thought it had just run out and no one had replenished the bathroom supply. As it turns out, there just is no toilet paper. The toilets have a bidet system, and if you improvise with your own paper, you have to put it in the wastebasket to keep from clogging the sewer lines. This took a bit of adjustment. I got so used to this process that when I arrived at the airport in Prague, on my way home, I could not spot a wastebasket and was despairing when I remembered that, here, I could flush!

If you need something from the market and don’t want to go out, you can drop a little basket containing a note and money from your balcony by rope and someone walking by will do the shopping and put the items in the basket. I think this started because women didn’t what to put on their hijab just to go out for a few things.

What advice would you give a fellow student who is traveling to Egypt?

You can’t just stay in and study all the time. If you don’t get to know people on an intimate level, you won’t really experience the culture. You cannot be afraid of getting harassed or of the stereotypes. Until you get to know the Egyptian people, the stereotypes feel true, but when you get to know them, their guard comes down. We are a lot alike.

What will you miss the most?

Front: Markous, me, Mariam. Back: Patrick, Josh. On my 21st birthday, at a surprise party planned by Markous and Patrick

The fruit! It was out-of-this-world delicious. So fresh! The mangos are like gelato. We ate mangos, pomegranates, persimmons, custard apples (called “ishta,” it looks like an artichoke). The weather was amazing. It only rained two days in five months; the rest was blue skies and Mediterranean breezes. Winter was sweater weather.

What would you like to say to a prospective donor, to encourage his or her support of the study abroad scholarship fund?

It is extremely important for people to support study abroad scholarships. These international programs provide an amazing experience for the students and a positive experience for the people they meet abroad, so it has a global impact. I changed Egyptian friends’ minds about Americans.

I would not have been able to go at all if it weren’t for the scholarships I received.

I am hoping to go back. I may move there when I graduate, and teach English for a while to get my footing. I have the building blocks for a life there … I have friends and a community. Long-term, I am interested in a career with the State Department or in a government field.

Georgette Condos

Georgette Condos is an International Studies major working toward a certificate in African Studies at UW-Madison, and is one of the first students to do course work toward a new certificate, which is still under development, that focuses on global health. Condos has plans to study public health after graduation, and works as the Empowerment Team leader of the EDGE Project. Last year, she spent some time volunteering in Uganda and more recently took part in the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference (CGIU) in San Diego.

In this Q&A Georgette discusses her experiences abroad, as well as her involvement in the CGIU.

What was your reason for choosing Uganda for your volunteer project? Did you get connected with this project through an organization on campus? Will you explain more about your involvement in the EDGE Project?

My passion for international relations and global health inspired me to participate in UW-Madison’s EDGE Project, a student led initiative that researches international sustainable issues and implements these development projects abroad.

Currently, my research is focused on addressing schoolgirls’ and women’s lack of access to affordable, eco-friendly, sanitary products for menstruation. Without access to sanitary pads, girls and women miss school and work, limiting their education and economic productivity. Educating girls and women is vital to the well-being of their families, communities, and countries. I have been in contact with Professor Musaazi from the Makerere University in Uganda who developed Makapads and Professor Ntambi from UW-Madison who has had experience distributing Makapads in Uganda. My goal is to distribute 500 Makapads locally made sanitary pads made out of papyrus in Uganda to the girls and women on Lingira Island in Lake Victoria, Uganda. The anticipated impact will be improved attendance in school leading to better health and a more productive future.

Where did you stay, and for how long?

The EDGE Project team was on Lingira Island for four weeks and stayed with a missionary group called Shepherd’s Heart International Ministry (SHIM). We were thankful to be staying in a standard cement building with a tin roof and enough beds for all of us to sleep comfortably under bed nets. There was no running water, but we had access to the limited rainwater available and water taken from Lake Victoria treated with chlorine.

What was the greatest challenge when you arrived?

An agricultural seminar: Abby and Alisha are offering farmers advice on more efficient ways to fertilize and plant seeds. They were demonstrating layering the soil with compost then water and then soil.

The greatest challenge when we arrived on the island was putting what we learned about their culture into practice. I had to constantly remind myself to greet everyone and ask them how they are before talking about anything else. It took a couple of weeks before we were able to communicate our research and ideas to particular community members. Another challenge was to be flexible and understand that their concept of time is much different than ours. This was a great challenge when our agriculture team tried planning meetings to show them more innovative, but very simple farming techniques and community members would come an hour late or not even show. This concept of time did not mean they were not interested in what our ideas were, rather it is simply their culture and their concept of time.

What would a day in your village typically consist of for you?

In the morning we would do chores before breakfast that included helping prepare breakfast, washing dishes, sweeping the compound, and cleaning the latrines. After breakfast I would walk to the primary school with two other girls to teach environmental and geography lessons that we prepared during the academic school year. We would visit the classrooms until lunch and walk back to SHIM to eat. After lunch we would visit the secondary school girls and boys and either play soccer with them or spend time with them in the classroom, teaching geography. We would be back at SHIM around 5 p.m., before dinner because it was not safe to be out when it was dark. After dinner the EDGE Project team would reflect on the day and offer advice and encouragement.

Mama and Papa O at their son Ben's wedding. Both Mama and Papa O are in traditional wedding attire.

Did you have a chance to absorb the Ugandan culture outside of the volunteer setting?

I was very pleased with the Ugandan culture we were exposed to. The EDGE team was honored to have been asked to attend a Ugandan wedding. We did not attend as volunteers, but as new friends and were very welcomed at the beautiful occasion.

What were some of the most memorable moments you had with the people you met there?

My most memorable moment was with this young boy named Ema. He would join us on our hikes up the small mountain that had a beautiful view of the entire island, Lake Victoria, and other nearby islands. Ema taught us how to count one to ten in Lugandan and would sing Uganda’s national anthem to us. It was fun learning from him and he was so happy when we would repeat the counting back to him correctly.

Another touching moment was when one of the elders on the island came to SHIM to show us his improved cabbage plant. The agricultural team showed him an easy way to protect his cabbage field by spraying a solution of just soap and water. He walked about 30 minutes in the dark to show us the improvement of his cabbage. He was very happy and pleased with the simple, yet innovative, information we provided during the agricultural seminars. It was so great to see the improvement that we helped create.

How do you think your international experience will influence your future? Do you plan on returning to Uganda at some point? Or work or study abroad in another in another location?

The commitment to being an active member of the EDGE Project helped build the foundation for my future plans of going to graduate school for public health and volunteering for the Peace Corps.

I plan to return to the island this summer as a former traveler to lead the new group of EDGE members. I am also studying abroad in Uganda for three weeks next December through the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS) Uganda study abroad program.

What advice would you give to someone who was considering a project like this?

I would tell them to be very serious about committing to a student organization because you will get the most out of what you are doing if you are ready to make that time commitment.

You recently attended the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference. Could you tell us a little bit about what that event? What did you take away from your involvement?

Catching up with Abraham Matovu at the CGIU student networking dinner.

I attended the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) this April with three other UW-Madison’s EDGE Project members. It is a meeting that brings together students and national youth organizations to create and implement Commitments to Action across five focus areas including education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation, and public health. My commitment to action is the MakaPads project through EDGE Project in the focus area of public health and the various positive affects it will have on education.

CGIU annual meetings are a great opportunity for CGIU students and youth organizations from around the world to meet and identify others who share similar interests and concerns for their global community. During the student networking meal times, students are encouraged to meet other participants and share ideas, experiences, and advice. It was a such a great opportunity to learn from other students and to think about ways to strengthen our commitments, network and form collaborations, and increase my impact in Uganda and in all that I do.

What was the most rewarding part of your entire experience?

The EDGE Project team and women from a microfinance coalition in a rural village in Jinja, Uganda. WORI

The CGIU conference was one of the most rewarding experiences, along with traveling abroad to Uganda with the EDGE Project team. There are times that I get discouraged about some of the inherent barriers to implementing my ideas on Lingira Island, yet attending this conference provided me with inspiration that anything I can bring to those less fortunate will make a difference. Interacting with and learning from young adults from across the globe who attended this conference has enabled me to realize that there are other students and peers sharing the same emotions as me.

What brought you to choose the International Studies major? How will this area of study help your career and you as a person?

I chose to focus my studies on international relations because I enjoy learning about the positive and negative aspects of international politics and relations. Over the course of my academic career at UW-Madison, I have learned that international relations are vital to the battle of finding improved solutions to the world’s most pressing global issues. The depth of these issues such as poverty and disease like HIV/AIDS have detrimental effects on a nation and there are actions that can be taken to better the state of countries that are severely in need of aid. I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in the courses offered as a student pursuing an International Studies degree. Furthermore, the courses I have taken draw parallels with my passion for global health issues, particularly those that burden Africa leading me to work toward a certificate in African Studies and a certificate that focuses on global health.

By Tom Schneider, Division of International Studies

View more photos from Georgette Condos.

Jake Heyka

Jake Heyka is a freshman planning to major in international studies and political science. Though he had never been abroad before, he recently spent a few weeks in Cambodia teaching English to students of all ages. In this Q&A he tells us about life as a Badger within the Khmer culture.

What was your reason for choosing Cambodia for your volunteer project? Tell us more about the program that connected you to volunteer to teach English to students in Cambodia?

Choosing Cambodia was done at absolute random. I wanted to do something over winter break that was productive and was approached by UBELONG about volunteering. A few months later, I was in Cambodia having the time of my life! UBELONG is a sprouting organization that connects volunteers with NGO’s all over the world. There are many opportunities for different projects that one can be involved in, but teaching was best suited for me given my age and the time that I could spend in Cambodia.

Tell us more about where you stayed while in Cambodia and the culture.

I stayed in a wonderful guest house. UBELONG organized my housing, food, and location for volunteering. Guest houses are similar to bed and breakfasts here in the States, but ours cooked for all three meals. I was there for just over two weeks.

Cambodia can be explained in many ways, but the actualities of the country can only be experienced. The culture was very vivid, but the level of technology was very obscure. There was Wi-Fi in nearly every building, but toilet paper was practically nonexistent.

The gap between social classes was very extreme too. The majority of the people seemed to be fairly poor but the rich people were incredibly rich and had absolutely incredible houses and cars. Actually the most common car was a Lexus RX-300.

The city is very unique. The streets are very narrow, which is remnants of the French colonization, and most people drive mopeds or get rides in tuk-tuks. Some people drive cars and those cars rule the roads because the infrastructure is seemingly nonexistent. The streets are almost always busy and very dangerous.

The buildings typically don’t exceed six stories except for two sky scrapers in the capital city. There is an odd combination of old French styles, Asian temples, and the more modern industrial styles of architecture. It compiles into a very confusing but wonderful combination of the old and the new. There are also open air markets scattered all over the cities.

One of the Pagodas in Phnom Penh.

The countryside looks like it came right out of a National Geographic magazine, and I’m sure it did at one point. The houses are raised on stilts for the wet season and the roads are pure dirt. Rice patties line the horizon where there isn’t forest. There will also be an occasional ancient temple from the time of the Angkor people.

The culture is absolutely amazing. The people are very conservative but very kind and helpful to tourists and the like. Buddhism is the most common religion and most people follow it very closely. It wasn’t uncommon to see Buddhist monks walking the streets and there were many Pagoda’s within Phnom Penh (where I stayed for the majority of the time).

The language is Khmer and is only spoken in Cambodia. The isolated language, along with historical issues from the Khmer Rouge, has prevented the development of the nation. People are starting to learn much more English and globalization is evident with products like Coca-Cola and computers.

Did you encounter anything you hadn’t expected? What was the greatest challenge when you arrived?

I did a lot of research on the Khmer culture in order to assimilate easily once I got to Cambodia. I was very amazed at everything I saw, but I went into the situation expecting everything I could think of. I found that by approaching the entire situation as an adventure, I was able to find enjoyment in every moment.

The greatest challenge was to learn the city with confidence. It’s easy to be taken advantage of by different street vendors, but if you walk confidently and know what you’re doing, there is an amazing world at your fingertips.

What would a day in Phnom Penh typically consist of for you?

A typical day in Phnom Penh would start at 6:30 a.m. I would get up and get myself ready and then go down to the front of the guest house to eat at 7 a.m. My first class was at 8 a.m. and it was about a 20 minute walk to the school. By this time, it was about 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, so the walk was very treacherous the first couple days. I had two classes in the morning. One was from 8 to 9:20 a.m., and the next was from 9:20 to 10:40 a.m. After my 9:20 a.m class, there was a three and a half hour break during which I would walk back to the guest house, in the now 95 degree weather, and eat lunch. Following lunch, I would go back to two more classes; from 2:00 to 3:20 p.m. and from 3:20 to 4:40 p.m. At 4:40 p.m., I had another hour long break before my last two classes of the day. I would usually talk with students and other teachers to learn about the culture and to make the most of my experience in Cambodia. At 5:30 p.m. I had one more class until 6:30 p.m. and then my final class was from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. After that, I would get a tuk-tuk ride back to my guest house, shower, and then hang out with the other volunteers. The night life experience was a completely different experience. There were many different restaurants and stores that we explored. Then, around 11 p.m. or 12 a.m., we would go back to the guest house and I would go to bed. Each day was a new adventure.

Did you have a chance to absorb the Khmer culture outside of the volunteer setting?

Temple in the Bayon in Angkor Wat

I did not teach on the weekends and I immersed myself in the Khmer culture as much as possible.

I stayed in Phnom Penh on the second weekend and explored the city with other volunteers there. By that point, I knew the city well, but had not gone and seen all that was there. I’m sure that in a lifetime, I could never see all that is in Phnom Penh.

What were some of the most memorable moments you had with the people you met there? You taught students English, what did your students teach you?

Every moment was amazing but I have to say that seeing the village within the floating forest was just incredible. There was so much intricacy between the ancient cultures, the modern ones, and how it has all meshed together. Then, when I realized where I was and saw where I was actually standing, reality baffled me.

My students taught me just how little some people know about the world that surround them. They are so isolated from all other culture by their language and have next to no perception of anything other than what is Cambodia.

How do you think your international experience will influence your future? Do you plan on returning to Cambodia at some point? Or work or study abroad in another in another location?

One of the former houses of the President of Cambodia.

My international experience solidified my desire to study International Law. After seeing all the social and political issues in Cambodia, I can only imagine what others are present in the world. I want nothing more than to eliminate them, and I plan to dedicate my life to doing so.

I will, without a doubt, return to Cambodia as soon as I can. I have fallen in love with the country, the people, and the culture.

I hope to study abroad in Russia and France, but International law will send me all over the globe.

What advice would you give to someone who was considering a project like this?

Do it. Just jump in and do it. Research the culture a little and make sure the organization is legitimate. After that, just jump in, because everyone else who is volunteering is or has experienced the same fears you have. Take each part as an adventure so you will be open to everything the world has to offer. It may be a small world, but it’s more intricate than you could ever imagine.

Right now, UW-Madison does not offer any study abroad opportunities in Cambodia. Why do you think the university should look into some deeper partnerships there?

I feel that the idea “moving forward” pertains globally and that the university has tried to achieve this in many ways. Cambodia, being as isolated as it is, has been neglected in moving forward with UW-Madison and I feel that making that connection would not only benefit Cambodia, but also the UW and its students. Cambodia is in desperate need of globalization. With students going to Cambodia, that process would speed up exponentially and with the principles that the UW instills in its students. This would help the UW to be more connected to the world and to enhance the life of Cambodians and students alike. The globalization and exposure to foreign culture would happen for both the students of the UW and the people of Cambodia. I feel that understanding of the world is not only beneficial, but crucial to creating a better world.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Peace cannot be achieved by force, it can only be attained through understanding.” Creating a study abroad program with Cambodia would only increase Cambodia’s understanding of the world, and the world’s understanding of Cambodia.

What was the most rewarding part of your entire experience?

I cannot single out one thing that was more rewarding than any other within my experience. I loved every minute of my little adventure and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

For more pictures of Jake’s time in Cambodia, visit The Division of International Studies’ Flickr Page.

Vlad Ionescu

Originally born in Romania, Vlad Ionescu moved to Chicago at a young age and came to Madison to study finance and real estate in the School of Business. He is leaving to spend the summer 2011 semester abroad working as a finance intern for an international company called Abbott Labs located in Zwolle, Netherlands.

What inspired you to apply for an international internship? How did you choose Zwolle as your destination?

I wanted to experience a new culture, a new way of conducting business, overall just a change of lifestyle for a summer. I found this opportunity through BuckyNet and Zwolle seemed like a great place because it has both small town historical charm, but big enough to meet plenty of other students my age. It also is located just a short train from major cities for weekend excursions.

What will you be doing there? How long will you be gone?

I will be working as a corporate finance intern and will be gone approximately three months, from June 6 to the very end of August.

What was the name of the program that connected you to this international internship? What was the application process like?

As I mentioned, I found this opportunity through the School of Business career placement site, BuckyNet. I submitted my resume and cover letter and was asked for an on campus interview. It was conducted by an American employee, although he had just came back from a three-year assignment in the Netherlands, so he was pretty familiar with both the country and the type of work needed to be done. The interview was pretty straightforward, and lasted about 30 minutes and a few days later I was offered a position.

What courses have you taken to prepare for this?

All my business courses, I think, will help me a great deal, such as Finance 300, 320, and 325. I also have taken three accounting and real estate courses which will be applicable. Also I think communication courses, such as General Business 301 are going to come in extremely handy.

Were there any members of the UW-Madison faculty that especially helped or inspired you to do this?

No one in particular, but the vast majority of faculty that I have encountered recommend an experience abroad.

What do you expect will be the most rewarding part of this experience? The most challenging?

The most rewarding part will be able to come back to Madison with new skills and new ways of doing things that will be extremely helpful in future jobs. Also working for a huge company like Abbott will expose me to a tremendous amount of knowledge from other employees and resources. The challenging part will be to assimilate to the business and social culture of the country, but I feel I am experienced and flexible enough to do that quickly.

What aspects of this experience are you looking forward to the most?

Completing projects that will hopefully have a direct positive effect on the company and exploring new things as much as possible.

A French Perspective on Madison: Q&A with Benedicte Coude

By Nina Gehan

UW-Madison received funds from the French Foreign Ministry’s Franco-American Cultural Exchange (FACE) and the U.S. National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students Panel to create and support graduate student exchanges with universities and research centers led by Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Montpellier (Sup Agro) in Montpellier, France. Sup Agro is a small, elite agricultural university that offers a semi-structured Masters program for professional students. The departments are comparable in many ways to UW’s College of Agriculture.

The goal of the exchange program is to train global scientists with concrete technical skills and a broad perspective on how science works within specific social, regulatory, and political contexts. Applicants come from a variety of disciplines that connect to environmental studies.

Benedict Coude

Benedicte Coude is a Master’s student at Montpellier’s Sup Agro school of Agronomy. She is currently studying Dairy Science in Madison as part of the Montpellier-Madison graduate exchange program.

Why did you decide to participate in this exchange program?

I decided to participate in it because it was my dream to go study in the U.S., and Madison has a really good reputation for its Food Science Department–especially dairy science which I’m interested in.

What is your general opinion of the exchange program?

I found the exchange to be a very nice and unique experience. I met people from all around the world and I am still in contact with lots of them. I also really appreciated to discover the American culture, the classes which are different compared to France. I also liked the contact between the teachers and the students here, I think there is much less distance than in France. And students participate more too, there is more motivation.

I had the very nice opportunity to travel with friends, we went to San Francisco, New York, Yellowstone, Salt Lake City and it was a great experience to see different areas of the U.S.

The problem when you are international student is that you tend to stay between international students and you don’t really know the “local students” but the fact that I stayed longer than a semester allowed me to make American friends to travel and live with and it’s very nice!!! And my English started getting much better!!

What is the most valuable thing you learned as part of the program?

I think the most valuable thing I learned is open-mindedness, and also I feel definitely less worried now about traveling and meeting new people.

Everything I learned in classes was great too!! I had the opportunity to take classes which were focused on specific topics which I wouldn’t have been able to do in France because my school has a broader approach to topics taught to the students. My classes were focused on food science: I took a nutrition class, a dairy science class, a class about food laws and regulations, one about the archeology of food and the last one about food chemistry.

How did the program help you in your professional life?

Through the program, I took this dairy science class and my dairy science teacher provided me with the internship that I’m doing right now. Basically, I’m doing a research project about proteins in milk and it’s very interesting!!! This internship was supposed to be from June to December but as I haven’t finished my project yet. My teacher allowed me to stay longer and go on with my internship until June. I’m so happy about it!!! So definitely, I now have the opportunity to do research in the field that I’m interested in–dairy science–thanks to the program!

How has participating in the Montpellier program impacted your life in general?

It was very interesting and it allowed me to see certain topics with new perspectives. All the people I met and the friends that I made. The travels that I did.

Well, pretty much everything! Just the fact to live abroad and to have American friends has changed my life for sure. I realize I really enjoy Madison and I’m thinking about finishing my studies in the U.S.A. We are going to see if it’s possible with the teachers from Montpellier and from Madison. I hope it will be.

What would you recommend to other students who might want to participate in the program?

It’s important to be careful when you choose your classes. Not to be too ambitious. Indeed, it’s very different compared to France because you don’t have a lot of hours in class but one class requires a lot of homework at home. So seven hours of class per week might seem cool but the work required at home takes a long time. I was really busy last semester and sometimes it was too much because I didn’t have time to go out and meet people. So just be careful, the system is different!!

Mandy Chan

Mandy [Sioman] Chan grew up in Macau, China. She came to UW-Madison in 2008 to study computer engineering. Mandy has worked in UW–Madison’s Division of International Studies’ communications office for the past year. This summer, she traveled back to China to intern at Companhia de Electricidade in her hometown of Macau. She works there as a trainee in the Information Services department, handling the intranet and working on database migration.

Why did you choose to come to the US to study?

Growing up in Macau, such a multicultural place, made me always want to know more about the other cultures and meet people from difference backgrounds. Especially in this era of globalization, I believe being international and knowing more about other cultures will be very helpful in my career. Coming to the US gives me the opportunity to reach out to diverse people who are eager to accept different cultures. Even though I am a foreigner, I have never felt excluded here.

Why UW–Madison?

It is one of the best public universities in the US. It has a very good educational quality that prepares me well for my career. It is a beautiful school that teaches me how to appreciate nature and how to relax myself and enjoy life. I can also fully experience the American culture here.

What are some of your favorite things about Madison and the university?

The people. They are very nice and understanding.

Freedom of dressing. Dress however you like – nobody in Madison judges you on your appearance.

Mandy Chan

How do you think your educational experience would have been different in China compared to here?

The educational level in China and the US is very close – both have very high standards. However, I think studying in the US gives me the opportunity to grow up and to learn to be

independent. If I were studying in China, I would have gone home regularly and I would have never learned to cook Chinese food because eating out is so convenient!

Are you using what you’ve learned at UW–Madison in your internship?

Definitely. My internship covers many computer fields including networking, server installation, application uses, database structure, etc. The computer and engineering classes I took at UW–Madison provided me with very good and helpful background in all of these fields. Even the programming languages that I learned in class that do not apply to this job still help with logical thinking.

Mandy Chan

My supervisor has given me the opportunity to hold lectures to teach my colleagues Web design. The technical communication classes that I took at UW–Madison are very useful in both writing the reports and doing the presentations.

Do you think you will return to China to work after your studies? Why?

Very possibly since the computer industry is growing rapidly there. However, wherever there is an opportunity is where I will be.

What advice would you give a Chinese student coming to study at UW–Madison?

Value your time at UW–Madison. Appreciate your parents/family as they provide you with the opportunity to be here.

This summer, she traveled back to China to intern at Companhia de Electricidade in her hometown of Macau. She works there as a trainee in the Information Services department, handling the intranet and working on database migration. Now that Mandy is back in Madison and on campus, we wanted to catch up with her and see how her summer internship went!

You’re back in Madison! How do you think your internship has benefited you now that you are in the classroom?

After the internship, I had a better idea about how the current computer market worked and what the most commonly used applications and systems were. Also, I know more about the different responsibilities of teams within the computer and information system department. This experience helped me in deciding which specific computer topics I want to study and what kind of specific computer firms I would like to work for.

While you were in China were there things you missed about Madison, Wisconsin, or the U.S.? And now that you are back in Madison, what are some things you miss about your summer in China?

I missed the environment of the U.S. a lot when I was in Macau. I missed the time sitting by Lake Mendota, lying in the grass on Bascom Hill, shopping at the farmers’ market by the Capitol, and many other Madison-specific activities. When I came back to Madison, I missed my family and the food in Macau a lot.

Do you have any ideas of what you would like to do after you graduate from UW-Madison?

I just started job hunting at the beginning of the month [September], looking for a full-time position in a computer firm. The range of my target companies is broad. Some of them are software or application development companies, while others are hardware or electrical design firms. Some companies are located in the U.S. and others are overseas. For me, I focus less on the physical features of a company, but more on the purpose, the goal, and the potential development of a company. I expect my future working environment to be a place full of opportunities, innovations, and communication.

Has you internship influenced how you think about your post-graduate plans?

Yes, it has. After meeting and working with different people in the company, I understand that knowledge and experience are equally important to be a successful employee. Before the internship, I wanted to go to graduate school right after I completed my bachelor’s degree. However, my current plan is to get a full-time position while studying part-time in graduate school.

Do you think it is beneficial to anyone, regardless of their area of study, to take an internship or have work experience in another country? Why?

It is definitely beneficial. One will never know a culture or country unless they live and join in the community there. We all grow up differently based on our cultures and backgrounds. We all have unique personalities and things that separate us. We all think and act differently based on our culture and upbringing. Through interacting with people from different backgrounds, you will get a great deal of new perspectives and become a more understanding and open-minded person.