Profile, Part 2

Why I did I choose Tanzania? Several reasons. I was interested in studying abroad since high school, but never actively pursued it. As soon as I got to college, in an attempt to pique my interest, I went to see Laura, the woman in charge of all Lawrentians studying abroad. I was inundated by the 30+ programs that she presented to me, but two stuck out, ACM Tanzania and ACM India. Both offered exotic locales and more exciting opportunities than the traditional European abroad programs (not that there is anything wrong with Europe, but I wanted something unusual). Europe, I reasoned, was easier to access as a tourist- I wanted to study somewhere that I might never visit otherwise.

As I went through my first year at Lawrence, studying abroad got pushed to my backburner, replaced by tennis, school, and my social life, mainly girls. However, when I returned for my sophomore year, I took another look at all the programs and immediately knew that I wanted to participate in ACM Tanzania. It had everything. I would get the spectrum of living experiences, living in a foreign dorm, the field and with a host family. The host family was especially important to me, as I think that it is an essential part of my cultural experience: with my host family, I imagined (and still imagine, as I write this), I would actually be forced to live something like a Tanzanian. I would not be able to lean on my fellow students to avoid cultural exposure (even if unconsciously), and would get to truly live in a foreign culture.

In addition, the combination of structured curriculum and independent study sealed the deal for me. The program's set curriculum offers me the opportunity for me to learn about Tanzania's historical, cultural and ecological background and to learn Kiswahili, while the independent study will let me pursue my own particular interests, using my education from both my first to years in college and the first part of my stay in Tanzania.

I hope that the combination of living situations and academic opportunities will help me learn both about Tanzania and the world in general. Ultimately, I chose Tanzania because I think that studying abroad is an incredible opportunity that will forever alter the lives of those that undertake it. I think that the combination of educational opportunities and cultural experiences that the Tanzania program provides will maximize its effect in life, enriching both my academic and my experiential education