1. Escape from your comfort zone and step outside of your norm.
2. Meet fellow American students who share similar passions and a spirit of adventure.
3. Intern at a local NGO (non-government organization) that not only immerses you in the community, but places you in the heart of current issues Namibia is facing today (something that will allow you to learn and grow everyday).
4. An opportunity to create lasting connections and experience unique personal growth.
5. Make cross-cultural connections between race dynamics in Southern Africa and the United States.
6. The opportunity to open your eyes up to the sides of the world which you haven’t seen and don’t know about in order to become a true global citizen.
7. Live in a small, intentional community where you can bond with other students on a deep level.
8. Interact with people from Namibia and across Southern Africa. By meeting so many people from around the region and taking time to learn about their various life experiences, it is impossible to come away from this trip believing in stereotype about “Africans”. You also get the chance to break down some assumptions about “Americans”.
9. An opportunity to live, grow, and learn in an enriching community (and let’s face it—the nightlife is awesome as well!)
10. Live in a beautiful country with stunning landscapes, mountains, coast lines, sand dunes. What more could you ask for?!
Post from Hannah Schmit, Augsburg College student who traveled to El Salvador as part of a winter break course. Hannah also recorded a YouTube video about her experience.
The crowded plane jostled onto the tarmac and my travel-wearied body snapped Alert. The piercing lights of distant planes cut through the dark blue haze of night. We had arrived in San Salvador. For the following ten days, I along with my classmates and professor, journeyed through the streets, cities, and lives of the people of El Salvador. We began in the city and were given invaluable experiences with church groups and speakers who explained the history of the tumultuous country and gave us glimpses of the true heart of the people. We traveled to a town called Suchitoto, where we heard pure voices of those who had experienced tragedy as they tried to teach us how to forgive. Another voice from Suchitoto spoke of peace and music, of dancing and love, and most importantly of using the gifts given to us by God to make the most out of our lives. From Suchitoto we traveled to Nueva Esperanza, new hope, and met with calloused hands and friendly smiles. The people of Nueva Esperanza showed us the power of family and community in the face of adversity. We remember those who have shared their lives with us and we honor those who passed in the civil war.
A quick but tasty post from Julian Cranberg, who traveled with CGE to Cuba in January, where he was impressed with all the services (but especially the cooking) at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Havana.
I was in Cuba with a group of Oberlin College students in January. After we returned home, we had a special Cuban dinner that I cooked using the recipes from the fabulous cooks from the MLK center.
I had to drive for an hour to buy yuca, malanga and plantain because these things can be difficult to find in the United States.
Thanks to everyone at the MLK Jr. Center for all that you did during our trip.
These photos are from Augsburg Student, Amy Theurer, as she studies abroad on the Social Work program in Mexico! Find us on our Facebook page to post comments on the social work students’ other blog posts.
Lucy Hardaker (hardaker@augsburg.edu), one of the newest CGE staff members, is highlighted this month!
Position and primary duties?
I am CGE’s Outreach and Enrollment Specialist. I visit schools around the country to meet with study abroad advisors, faculty, and students about CGE programs. I am a student’s primary contact after they inquire or express interest in our programs. I really enjoy answering student questions and helping them understand the study abroad enrollment process. I also assist with the management of our social media channels. One of my favorite projects is working with our Alumni Ambassadors, a program through which returned students work closely with interested students in selecting and preparing for a CGEE experience. If you want to be an Alumni Ambassador or are interested in connecting with one, contact me at the above email address.
In what year did you start with CGE?
2014
Share with us a brief educational and work history.
I studied as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and, while I was there, I worked two different jobs. One, at a small scrapbooking and craft supply store, and the other at the international student services office on my campus. My time as a student assistant in the international office set me on a path to international education as a career. Once I graduated, they hired me as the host family coordinator where I matched international students to families within the Eau Claire community. After a few years working professionally in Eau Claire, I moved back to my home of Saint Paul, Minnesota to pursue my Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at the University of Minnesota and to work with international students there as well. My job was to coordinate short-term programs, where I got to plan and lead educational field trips around the Twin Cities as a way to help students increase their understanding of US culture and the English language. I also assisted the international student recruiter in her job to recruit students to study in Minnesota.
Where are you from?
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Where do you work?
Minneapolis office
Most rewarding part of your work with CGE
I have been interested in intercultural connections and international travel for as long as I can remember, so I find it very rewarding to get students excited about study abroad. I love to hear the stories from the students after they return, too – to share in the joy of a transformative experience.
Most challenging part of your work with CGE?
Seriously – seeing the student’s photos! It’s painful to see all the places I still want to go in my life. My fingers start itching for online flight searches…
While all CGE visits and resource people are important and valuable, are there any particular stories/encounters that are particularly poignant for you personally or for our participants?
I’m still pretty new to CGE so I don’t have as many stories to draw from yet. However, each time I hear a story from a student that didn’t think they would ever be able to go abroad, I am quite happy to know that they found a way and that they chose us. I believe that CGE’s style of program is such a fantastic way to experience international travel – I wish my school had known of it when I was studying abroad!
What are your hobbies/personal interests?
My hobbies include: scrapbooking, riding my bike, and hibernating during Minnesota winters with Netflix!
Where is your favorite place to travel or what is your dream destination for the future?
My favorite place I have visited is Annecy, France, a small mountain town in Eastern France. I consider this my favorite travel memory because it holds a special place in my heart as the first international travel experience I had. I went to France for 3 weeks with my high school French class and have been smitten with travel and culture ever since. Annecy was my favorite from the trip as it is a beautiful town filled with wonderful people! And as a Minnesotan girl, I had never seen mountains before so visiting the French Alps was a very special experience.
More photos from student Andrea Sutliff, Siena College student studying abroad in Namibia.
You can also view more CGEE photos on our new Instagram account, and by searching #CGEE. Happy photo viewing!
While staying in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, I went on a day-long safari trip to Chobe National Park in Botswana. As an animal lover I almost exploded from excitement; we saw literally hundreds of elephants, hippos, giraffes, buffalos, crocodiles, various birds, and other game animals. It was amazing to see not only the animals themselves, but just the inexplicable beauty of nature.
This photo was taken at one of the vantage points along Victoria Falls, (from the Zimbabwe side.) I was fortunate enough to be able to stay in Victoria Falls at a hostel during our Spring Break. The only way I can think to describe the feeling of approaching the falls is “breathtaking;” it’s obvious why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
This was my lovely host family, who so graciously opened their doors and arms to me. This photo was taken during the rural homestay in a village outside of Outapi, Namibia, during the CGE Farewell Party (hence the traditional Oshiwambo colors/attire.)There are really no words to describe the experiences all of us students had.
This photo was taken at the Ruacana Falls, on the Namibia and Angola border. We visited the falls (which were unfortunately mostly dry due to the current drought) one afternoon for a picnic lunch after visiting and learning about the NamPower Station. We were able to climb along the rocks and ledges and even scale down to the bottom of the falls in some spots. I only wish any picture I got there could’ve capture the beauty of it all.
Students in Namibia spent a week in the Outapi community in the northern region of the country and participated in a rural home stay. The purpose of this home stay is to allow students the opportunity to learn what life in a rural area is like and to learn more about the northern part of the country, which is where a majority of the population in Namibia lives. Students were asked to share one word or phrase that they felt summarized their experience and here were their answers:
This is a guest post from Oberlin student Evelyn Wagaman, who traveled to Cuba with CGEE as part of an Oberlin College class. She writes about being a vegan traveling to Cuba, but many of these tips can be helpful for vegans traveling anywhere!
Are you a devoted vegan thinking of traveling to Cuba on a trip with the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College? Never fear! I was in your shoes once, and I’m here to give you ten tips on how it can be done.
Stock up on vegan encouragement before you leave. Talk with supportive friends and family while you’re still on U.S. soil, because once you’re in Cuba, there will be no calling or emailing them. I was the only vegan on my trip, so it helped to know that I had supporters back in the States to whom I could triumphantly declare upon my return, “I did it! I was a vegan in Cuba for two weeks!”
