Paul Depre,
Oak Lawn, IL Economics major and international relations minor
Paul’s Global Awareness Odyssey Story
The pipes are calling As a child, Chicago native Paul Depre loved the stirring sounds of the city’s famous Pipes and Drums Band and was intrigued by books that described bagpipes as instruments of war. So he designed an Odyssey that would take him to the International Piping Festival and the World Piping Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. He prepared for a year, taking lessons to learn the basics of the instrument and its culture. Paul says, “The Festival was a wonderful experience; every day was full of presentations, concerts, lectures, and piping culture from around the world.” He even bought his own set of pipes from a Scottish artisan craftsman. In reflecting upon his Odyssey, Paul observes, “What I have done over the year has become a part of who I am.”
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“I gained the confıdence that I could indeed survive on my own, abroad and away from traditional comforts.”
More about global awareness at Hendrix hendrix is one of only 40 institutions of higher education in the country that are eligible to nominate its students for Watson Fellowships. Since 1985, 27 Hendrix students have been awarded fellowships that fund a year of independent study and travel abroad.
hendrix’s participation in the international student exchange program (isep) connects you with more than 150 study programs all over the world. Hendrix ISEP participants have recently studied in Australia, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, and Thailand.
global awareness can begin at home, when students have direct experience of the many different cultures and environments to be found right here in the United States.
Paul notes that, “Hendrix’s greatest strength is that it is not a trial-by-fıre college.” He feels that while “students are encouraged to be creative, set high goals, and to push themselves to succeed,” the Hendrix learning environment is one that fosters high achievement without creating undue stress or pressure.
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