My application

Below, I copied my application. It was part of the process, so I thought I should include it!

Malawi Study Abroad Application 2008

Briefly describe any international or cross-cultural experiences in the past 8 years?

My international experiences have expanded my knowledge of other countries and customs. Through vacations with my family, we have visited Jamaica, Cancun, Haiti and St. Martin. My parents made sure that we experienced the local culture (and food) in each. While our 1^st visit to a Caribbean market in Cancun was enlightening, and somewhat frightening, we quickly learned that this was their culture. After this initial experience, subsequent market trips in Haiti and Jamaica, were very enjoyable, both the shopping and talking to the locals (love that Jamaican accent!).

My cross-cultural experiences include meeting girls from Germany,Argentina, Puerto Rico,St. Lucia Mexico, Greece, Japan and New Zealand. A close family friend of ours had multiple au pairs live with them, and I often learned many things about their country and their culture. In addition, in 2002, I was fortunate enough to be selected to attend an international Girl Scout program focusing on women in the medical field. While many girls were from the US, there were quite a few from other countries and I enjoyed meeting them and showing them America and learning about their respective countries.

I feel like I have had quite a few experiences with meeting people from all over the world. I am also from Northern Virginia and my high school was very diverse. We had students from all different nationalities, religions, and ethnic backgrounds. I have been exposed to different cultures all my life and I am excited to have an opportunity to learn more about the culture of Africa, and to find out what makes Malawi the “warm heart of Africa”!

Briefly describe your participation in student, civic, cultural, and religious activities:

As a Girl Scout for over 10 years, I was apart of an annual program, called the International Bazaar. Each troop had one country that they were responsible for learning about the cultural, values and beliefs of that country. The troops would then dress up in their country's native dress, make food and crafts from their country and display things that were significant to their country. It was a great way to expose me to the different countries and cultural traditions from all around the world. Another program that I was able to get involved in through Girl Scouts was being a camp aide at Ashgrove Adventure summer camp for 3 years. This was a wonderful leadership opportunity for me and I truly enjoyed working with younger girls and helping them succeed.

One of my accomplishments that I am most proud of is volunteering at my local hospital for over 500 hours. My parents set an example for me by giving blood and reaching out to those less fortunate, and this instilled the value of community service in me. Helping in the hospital was a rewarding experience, and I felt I made a difference. Because of my experience, I became a valuable resource for other volunteers and was always a smiling positive face for patients and visitors.

While high school was a great experience, I have truly found my place in Blacksburg, especially in my sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. It helped make the campus smaller, and I felt like I had my own family here, full of sisters. I wanted to do my part in the sorority, so I became service co-chair because I want to encourage my passion for community service to my other sisters. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to get involved in the local community and learn about all that Blacksburg has to offer.

My resume is attached and it includes more of my activities, service and awards. (sorry, I didn't attach it in the blog)

Please write a brief essay on how study abroad will (1) complement your education and (2) how you can help to make this a positive experience for other students.

I have always heard about students who have studied abroad and come back with amazing experiences and stories to share. I have known for a long time that it was something that I wanted to do in college. While studying during the day in a foreign country and bar hopping at night seems fun, I wanted something more. Teaching and Learning in Malawi would be a rewarding experience and I feel I can make a difference. I can’t stop thinking about going to Africa, it’s something I feel like I need to do.

After looking at pictures from last summer and seeing the PBS video of Malawi, I could tell this would be the experience of a lifetime and I would learn so much more than any class or textbook could teach me. I have always had a passion for children and I have spent much of my adolescence babysitting, mentoring, tutoring and being camp counselors for children of all different ages and backgrounds. While I don’t know if I want to pursue a career as a teacher, I have always had interest in the education field. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my summer than going to a country where children are so eager to learn and grateful for any knowledge. I would be honored to be any small part of these children’s lives to help them succeed.

I feel this opportunity would complement my education because I am a hands on learner. I learn best through experiences and interactions. That is why I feel like this study abroad will be the perfect opportunity for me to excel academically. Being able to take everything that I have learned and observed from Malawi and put it together as a final project will be a wonderful way to document what I learned. It will be something to keep, and I will be able to look back at my time in Africa, and possibly even use it as an educational tool to teach others about Malawi.

My understanding is that the Malawi students are very eager to learn, and having a guest teacher from the states must be an exciting time. We have the opportunity to teach so much, whether its personal health, disease education, basic language arts, or multiplication tables. As long as it’s a positive experience for the children, that’s all that matters. I understand that our time is very valuable there, and I want to choose subjects that the students will find most useful. Therefore, I plan to do extensive research before our trip. I want to make this a memorable experience for me as well as the children.

I look forward to meeting the children of Malawi, but I also am excited to meet and work with my fellow students who have chosen to go on this journey. I believe that together we can achieve more and leave a more lasting impact on the children. As a team, we will be able to discuss and learn from each other’s experiences and observations. A journal will be an important tool to document our feelings and to remember our trip. Overall, this will be a positive experience for the students of Malawi as well as the students of Virginia Tech.