As the summer begins, every Pointer has a different plan. Some will take a summer English course, others will work at day camps, and maybe a few are even planning a weekend excursion to the Dells. May 25 begins my summer plans as I takeoff for Namibia, Africa!
When I began my studies at UW-Stevens Point four years ago, I overheard students talking about a wonderful opportunity to travel to Africa to work with students with disabilities. From the beginning, this program perked my interest, and I even began to research when I would be able to attend the program. Over the years, the idea of attending the Education in Namibia program has kept building in the back of my mind – and now it is a reality.
For me, Education in Namibia is an opportunity to grow as a special education educator. I am pursuing a major in elementary education with the intention of teaching in an upper elementary or middle school classroom. At UW-Stevens Point, I have only taken one course that addresses special education. As a future teacher, I feel it is important to have as much experience with inclusivity in the classroom as possible. This study abroad program provides a chance for me to work on designing and implementing methods to successfully educate students with disabilities.
From this experience, I will learn techniques to address the needs of diverse learners, specifically learners with vision difficulties. I will be able to implement the techniques from this experience with future students. I can become a better educator with this experience, but, more importantly, I will be prepared to better assist students with disabilities. I am committed to making a difference in every students’ education. Every student deserves to receive fair education that meets their specific needs.
After I graduated from high school, I had the opportunity to travel through western Europe. The experience was eye-opening, and it started a love for traveling. Since this European excursion, I have gotten to travel to to other countries, too. My favorite part of each trip is getting to meet new people while traveling. The new people I meet may be the native inhabitants or other travelers. I have learned so much by the casual conservations I have had with those I met. My knowledge base about culture, social class and diversity has been broaden through these conversations. Each time I leave for home, I feel a connection to the people I have met and to the country’s culture. I have not had the opportunity to travel to Africa yet, and this study abroad experience is an excellent chance to gain cultural insight of Africa and its people.
But for college students, any traveling experience has the difficulty of funding. We can use all of our financial aid grants, take out more loans and work long hours to earn extra cash. As a last resort, we can ask our family for assistance, but we don’t want to put a burden on them either. I had exhausted all of these options, but through this process I came across another option – a study abroad grant offered through Phi Kappa Phi.
On the Phi Kappa Phi website, it states that Study Abroad Grants are designed to help support undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. Fifty $1,000 grants are awarded each year. I knew I had to take my chance on the grant – it was money that would help me with the last bit of funding for my trip … and the best part is my application was selected!
Over the years, I have taken advantage of as many scholarship or grant opportunities as possible. There is a lot of free money available when you take the time to be explicit and provide evidence on why you deserve the award. Keep an eye out fellow Pointers – don’t let money hinder you from following your dreams!
Cierra
Cierra Bartol-Byers, a senior elementary education major, is blogging about her study abroad experience in Namibia, Africa.