Consortium programs offer world of experience to students

“We saw orphans who had lost both their parents to AIDS, slums of corrugated metal shacks, but we also petted cheetahs, saw baby penguins and went on a safari.”

—Student Chris Niesen, South Africa, Summer Program 2008

Chris Niesen is one of 25 students from here and other Tennessee Board of Regents schools who took part this summer in a three-week study abroad program to South Africa. That trip, along with eight other study abroad opportunities, was made possible by the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies, whose headquarters are at the College. TBR is the governing body for Pellissippi State.

“We got to meet Nelson Mandela’s cellmate, Ahmed Kathrada,” said the Pellissippi State student. “You see heroes and idols everywhere—athletes, the Pope. I’ve never met anyone who was really worthy of that kind of respect.

“Mandela and eight people were initially incarcerated, and gave up 27 years of their lives and their families’ lives on principle—knowing that what was going on was wrong and had to be fixed. They had the gumption to stand up to it.”

Students in the TnCIS study abroad programs earn college credit as they get to know other countries first hand, through travel, class work and sometimes even living with a local family. The South Africa group’s travels included Robben Island, where Mandela and his supporters were imprisoned for political reasons.

“We learned so much history of South Africa,” said student Diane Wenta, also from Pellissippi State. “We learned a lot about slavery and apartheid. It allowed you to see parallels from U.S. history and the mistakes of segregation.”

“It was one of the most emotionally ranging trips,” said Niesen. “It was incredible to meet with members of Parliament and some of the human rights committees. They allowed us to get to see how the country is being developed.”

“I’m so proud of our school [Pellissippi State] for having these study abroad programs,” said Wenta. “We learned and saw so much.”

She says the group was required to interview local people on social issues, then do two presentations.

“I probably interviewed 30 people,” she said. “We also had to do journal entries every day.” The students used the book “Aids in the 21st Century” for class work and the final.

. . .

Stephanie Holden was drawn to Ireland by her love of Irish authors. She returned to Knoxville from the TnCIS trip the end of May, with 3 credit hours in British Literature II.

Students like Holden earn credits in everything from anthropology and literature to media and languages by traveling to such faraway locations as Brazil, Greece, Scotland, Mexico and Spain.

Alicia Emert also chose Ireland, where she and Holden were part of a group of nine housed at Tipperary Institute, in a monastery-turned-dormitory. Emert has Irish roots on her mother’s side.

“We had quite a few books of poetry from Irish writers,” Emert said. The class wrote about the poetry and shared photographs on students’ blog sites at www.edublogs.org. Emert says her favorite poet was William Butler Yeats: “It’s very personal. It’s relatable.”

Kristina Bogue is already saving to go to Europe again next year. The study abroad was her second trip to France. Bogue, who is studying to be an elementary teacher, came home with 3 credits in humanities, lots of memories and a greater appreciation for Facebook: that’s how she is keeping in contact with the new friends she made in Cherbourg, the trip’s host city.

Cherbourg is in the heart of Normandy on a peninsula that reaches into the English Channel. It’s a naval port, an international yachting harbor and a famous terminal for Allied supplies and armaments during World War II.

Bogue enrolled in Introduction to Film Studies, an overview of film history using selected feature films about France or in French with subtitles in English. The films were a starting point for learning about French language, culture and history.

Bogue and other participants spent the last part of the study abroad experience in Paris, where they visited such historic sites as the Notre Dame cathedral, Basilica of the Sacred Heart and Louvre Museum.

“One of my favorite parts was where we lived—a hospital that Napoleon had built for his soldiers that is now used as dorms,” she said.

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The TnCIS study abroad opportunity is obviously a popular one: The program started with one trip last summer and this year has to grown to more than 100 participants.

 “Students that are diversified in their experience, both academically and culturally, will see the world and themselves differently,” said Milton Grimes, TnCIS executive director. “Students who participate in a study abroad program also often translate their experience into marketable points on their resume.”

The goal of TnCIS is to make studying abroad accessible to all TBR students. TnCIS scholarships, along with financial aid students may already have in place, make the opportunity affordable to many who otherwise could not even consider international study.

The online program application and study abroad choices for 2009 will be available at www.tncis.org in October. For more information on TnCIS, visit the Web site or contact the office at 539-7279.