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Testimonials |
Reflections from faculty and students
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From: Dr. Rhonda Y. Williams, Associate Professor of History; Secondary Appointment
in MSASS
Kenya
In Spring 2007, I participated in the Kenya Immersion Study-Abroad course, which
focused on topics related to women and children and economic and community development. The
Kenya Immersion trip proved to be a life-changing experience for students, staff, and
faculty. The course was intensive. Traveling to Kenya to witness issues firsthand
proved immeasurable in that it offered each student a potentially qualitatively different learning
and personal experience. In Kenya, students had the opportunity to traverse the country, to witness
in context the themes guiding the in-class curriculum, and to discuss questions of gender
inequality, poverty, children's health and education, and community entrepreneurship and
environmental sustainability with Kenyan citizens, activists, teachers, and founders of community
institutions.
Many of the undergraduate and graduate students told me personally how this experience was
life-changing. They shared with me how they became familiar with global issues that they otherwise
would not have been familiar with – and how they saw things about themselves that they need to
change.
Faculty-led structured immersion, study-abroad, and even domestic service-learning
experiences can offer significant and distinct opportunities. I witnessed students grappling not
only over the issues under study, but just as importantly struggling with themselves.
From: Dr. Gary Ciepluch, Music Department, CAS,
Director of Winds and Bands-Case
As a faculty member at CWRU since
1988, one of the most important and unique opportunities available to our students has been the
opportunity to enrich their educational experience through world wide travel. I have the had
the privilege of taking 8 International Concert Tours since 1994 with the Cleveland Youth Wind
Symphony, which includes CWRU graduate and undergraduate students. I have witnessed first
hand the impact this experience has had on these students in ALL aspects of their life. The
change in their view of the world, our own country, and of themselves is truly a remarkable
transformation. As an advisor to CWRU undergraduate, students who have studied abroad or took
part in the MSASS program come back as different people. No program has more potential for
student growth and development than MSASS. I have never seen a more positive,
compassionate, caring, thoughtful and mature change in an individual as I did with a student of
mine who was able to travel to Kenya last year through this program. The experience was "Life
Changing" for her in ways almost indescribable. This program literally saved this persons
life. After this experience, what she perceived as "major" problems in her own life now
became insignificant because of what she saw and experienced while abroad. This person has
now dedicated her life to teaching and helping humanity because of a seemingly simple visit to
satisfy a university requirement. I was never more proud of this University because of what
this experience meant for her and for us. I look forward to steering others toward
opportunities like this in the future.
From: Emily Garvey; Undergraduate, Nursing
Guatemala, Child Welfare
I was a participant on the Mandel of Applied
Social Science's Travel and Study Seminar to Guatemala for the analysis of Child Welfare. I
honestly believe that this was the absolute best experience of my life. The complete immersion into
the culture of Guatemala was incredibly stunning and thought provoking as we witnessed daily
occurrences that average Americans would not even dream of. After reading background information on
the state of the country and completing an annotated bibliography, actually experiencing the
culture firsthand was so much more meaningful; it is one thing to read about poverty statistics, it
is quite another thing to actually watch a four-year-old child climb out of a tent on the sidewalk
that he calls home. Through written reflections and verbal conversations, I was able to digest the
large amount of information that we heard, saw, and learned everyday of our trip. I truly believe
that through my experiences in Guatemala I have learned more than I ever could in a semester-long
lecture class about myself, Child Welfare, and the world.
From: Jordan White, Former Case Undergraduate, Currently Columbia University,
MSW
Kenya, Women and Community Development and Netherlands, Survey
Study abroad immersion experiences are invaluable tools for educational and personal
growth. Case is at the forefront of study abroad immersion education by providing a wide range of
trips to students that impart succinct but comprehensive learning experiences. I was fortunate to
attend two of Case's study abroad programs; The Netherlands with Dr. Debby Jacobson and Kenya with
Dr. Sharon Milligan. Both experiences brought international theories, policies and practices into a
more realistic perspective. For example, accepting and acknowledging the benefits of harm reduction
in the classroom is progressive, but experiencing it vis-à-vis practice and observation at the
undergraduate level is exceptional. Kenya was cutting edged and extremely culturally and
educationally enriching. The process of realizing that basic necessities of your everyday
life are treasured luxuries was and still is hard to accept. Most importantly, I saw the sheer
resilience of the human spirit. Highlights from my trip include discussing policy and security
issues for educating young girls at rural boarding schools, hearing seasoned activists and
educators discuss their work around HIV, intimate partner violence, malaria and the importance of
cultural competency.
These programs were one of the most enriching educational
experiences I had at Case Western Reserve University and my undergraduate career would not have
been as fulfilling with out it. Now as a graduate student I see the importance of distinctive
immersion experiences such as Kenya. On the graduate level it is expected that you have lived,
studied, and or worked abroad, in a substantial way, simply visiting and taking classes is not
enough. Moreover, immersion experiences are quickly becoming a requirement for students wishing to
be at the top of their academic fields, it is no longer an option. In discussion with my colleagues
everything is considered from several perspectives and having the ability to connect theory to
practice is essential for understanding issues that pervade medicine, public health, mental health,
and social policy the world over. I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to study
abroad on two occasions at Case and specifically to have had the rare opportunity to study and
learn in such a dynamic way while in Kenya.
From: Robert Alinsky; Undergraduate, Pre-law Guatemala, Child
Welfare
As a result of the trip, I have personally gained a completely new perspective on
how I view the world. My eyes have been opened to what I have only read about in articles and
books, yet never could have imagined it being like in reality. My new approach is one of compassion
and one of total frustration that people in this day and age of extreme comfort in the United
States and other western countries live day to day without as much as even taking a moment to think
about those who are so unfortunate.
What you take away from this experience cannot simply be explained by an itinerary but by
the personal reflection that you undergo during and once you return to the United States. It
is so important for students to participate and take advantage of these opportunities as it is an
essential way to broaden your perspective of the world and how you think about the topics that you
study.
From: Matthew Nemergut; Undergrad, Accounting and
Communications
India, Innovations in Social Development and Netherlands, Survey
I've been taking college classes for almost six years now. When I look back to my
very first college class, I can't believe how much I've changed, learned, and grown. Surprisingly,
a little, off-the-cuff comment from my professor is the one thing that I remember most vividly from
my college experience, “Don't let college interfere with your education. Sure, books and grades and
school are important, but don't forget that there is world out there that you have to see, touch,
taste, smell, and hear.”
I can say that the one single most altering event in my time at Case was my opportunity to
study abroad with MSASS. I've spent the majority of my life in Ohio. In stark contrast,
I can say that the time I spent in India has given me an emotional attachment and personal
investment in India. We had several meetings throughout the semester to talk about the papers we
had to read, planning for the trip, and what to expect. It was the only class that I've ever taken
at Case where teleconferencing with a university hundreds of miles away was standard practice.
When I arrived in New Delhi, India, I was in complete shock. I'm used to seeing only
thousands of people together for events like concerts, marathons, or rallies. But in India, looking
out the window on the 4th floor of my building I could see thousands of people sleeping on the
streets, hanging clothes from balconies, or pedaling rickshaws. In one glimpse, the little bubble
of the world that I had created by spending 22 years in North America had been shattered. India was
no longer just a faint outline on the other side of a globe. It was a place that was full of
interesting and diverse people, with breathtaking architecture.
From: Melissa Olenik; Undergraduate, Psychology/Sociology
El Salvador, Women and Community Development
As an undergraduate psychology/sociology student at CASE I had a chance to
participate in the El Salvador MSASS study/immersion trip. The experience was so
amazing and truly changed my life.
Throughout my studies I have developed a strong interest in the social services field but it
wasn't until the El Salvador trip that my desire to continue in this field was solidified. I have
studied poverty related topics in many of my courses during college and I always knew the
seriousness that poverty inflicts on the world, but I wasn't able to truly comprehend it until I
visited El Salvador, a truly poverty stricken country. I will never forget the mental images I have
brought home of children selling goods on the streets to help support the family or the thousands
of "homes" constructed with dirt floors and roofs made of corrugated metal.
I realized that my calling in life is to "be a voice for the poor." For awhile I doubted if
a career in social services was right for me. Having seen and felt poverty in El Salvador is
something that has changed me forever.
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