Going Places Fall 2017 by Baylor University Center for Global Engagement

GOING PLACES C E N T E R

F O R

G L O B A L

E N G A G E M E N T

AT B AY LO R U N I V E R S I T Y

TABLE OF CONTENTS HERE

GOING

THERE

Here is all about what is going on around Baylor, featuring stories of how we continues to impact the world from Waco, Texas.

Going is all about the middle man and the transititions, featuring stories of those that are in or are helping others in the “inbetween”.

There is all about what Baylor is doing abroad, the programs that are available, and how ways that students can get involved.

ACE: BENJAMIN BECKER

CROSSING THE GREAT WALL OF LANGUAGE: QING QING CHEN

TARA NYAMBURA : BAYLOR AND BEYOND

ALLISON CARRUTHERS: CGE AMBASSADORS

MISSION SOCIAL

BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIER BETWEEN US + THEM

UPROOTED: LUCAS AND SORAIA

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: PAWS PROGRAM

DREAMS FROM LAGOS: USPP CLASS

CHANGING LIVES: ONE AT A TIME

WHO I AM: EGLE ULJAS

STUDY ABROAD PHOTO CONTEST: ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE PORTRAIT

GUATEMALA: LINE CAMP ABROAD

THIRD CULTURE KIDS

FOREIGN GOUND: NEW STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

PHOTO BY CHARLENE LEE

A C E After 12 years of professional tennis he returns to Baylor. Benjamin Becker opens up about his life decisions and why he came back to school after all those years. WRITTEN BY CHARLENE LEE | INTERVIEW WITH BENJAMIN BECKER

We all have dreams and aspirations of what we want to be when we’re older. Some dream of becoming movie stars, while others dream of becoming the president of the U.S. For most, those childhood dreams dissipate or change overtime, but that wasn’t the case for Benjamin Becker. He dreamt of becoming a pro-tennis player since he was 7 and at the age of 24, his dreams became a reality.

Benjamin Becker was born in Germany, a country predominantly known for soccer. It wasn’t until pro-tennis players Boris Becker and Andre Agassi came into the spotlight that tennis became an active and growing sport in the country. Inspired by those players, Becker picked up a racket for the first time at age 7 and a dream was born. “I didn’t really know about tennis before Boris

HERE | 7

I SAW AN OPPORTUNITY AND I HAD TO TAKE IT. I WANTED TO AVOID REGRETTING SOMETHING LATER IN LIFE AND DECIDED TO TAKE A

or Andre,” Becker said. “Seeing them play and move the way they did on the tennis court opened my eyes to tennis and I knew I wanted to be like them.” He played all through high school and in 2002 he stepped on U.S. soil for the first time and joined the Baylor University tennis team. Becker played for Baylor for four years. He said those years were critical for his development as a tennis player. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my time at Baylor during those four years. I learned how to be a better player and I got to build relationships with my teammates who helped support me and my dreams of going professional,” Becker said. During his time at Baylor, he earned Big 12 Freshman and ITA Region IV Rookie of the Year in 2002, ranking 11th in the nation. He also became a three-time singles All-American, a four-time All-Big 12 pick, won the 2004 NCAA singles and led the team to their first national championship. In 2005, he decided to put school on hold and put his dream into action, entering the world of professional tennis. He played in countries all over the world and became wildly successful. In the U.S. Open of 2006, Becker found himself playing against and

even defeating his idol, Andre Agassi in what was Agassi’s final game of his career. After 12 years of professional tennis, Becker returned to Baylor University in the fall of 2017 to finish his last semester and earn his Bachelor’s Degree in business. In addition, he wanted to give back to the team that helped him go as far as he did in his professional career by working with the tennis team by serving as a hitting partner during their practices. “The opportunity for our guys to work with him daily and practice is really unprecedented. It’s fantastic for the guys on the team,” Baylor Tennis head coach Knoll said. “I think that he’s a great example for our guys. Benni’s committed to education and for him to come back and get his business degree says a lot about who he is and what kind of character he has. It’s the kind of character we want to build in our guys.” Overall, Becker is content with the choices he’s made and is glad to be back at Baylor. “I saw an opportunity and I had to take it,” he said. “I wanted to avoid regretting something later in life and decided to take a risk by leaving Baylor and going professional. I am happy with the choices I’ve made and now I’m back to finish what I started years ago.”

HERE | 8

CROSSING THE GREAT WALL OF

LANGUAGE

WRITTEN BY HALEY CLARK | INTERVIEW WITH QING QING CHEN ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLENE LEE

Imagine moving from a foreign country to the huge state of Texas. You pick up your whole life to settle into the football-loving and barbecue-eating state, different from any other place in the world. That's exactly what Qing Qing Chen did with a smile when she moved to Waco from China. Chen is a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at Baylor. After teaching English at a university in China, Chen decided to join her husband,

who was studying computer engineering at Baylor. The cultural differences between China and the United States, specifically Texas, still stand out to her even after five years. “Texas is different from many other states in the United States. I like the southern courtesy in Texas, and I like the culture of cowboys. I feel the people here are very warm-hearted,” Chen said. Chen says she is passionate about studying and working at Baylor because of all the uni-

versity has to offer. From smaller class sizes to the Christian community, she says the faculty and students are hardworking and personable. She values being able to build relationships with her international students, and her true passion lies in teaching them English language and communication skills. “The basic and fundamental function of learning a language is to communicate. You are learning this language to communicate with others, so I want to make more students

know the importance of using English as a tool instead of learning it just to pass a test,” she said. Chen says being bilingual makes her more confident. She says understanding the English language and culture makes her appreciate the U.S. and her life in Texas so much more. “If you know language, you can investigate deeper topics to continue conversations and have friendships with native speakers,” Chen said, “which I think is a wonderful thing.”

HERE | 11

mission

The late Dr. Diana Garland had a vision for developing global Christian leaders at Baylor University. And in 2009, the Global Mission Leadership program began in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, carrying out that vision. Eight years later, 16 alumni have graduated from the program, and four students are currently enrolled. The GML program aims to create leaders willing to go into the world and serve. The students are recruited from all around the world, and all of the students have commitments to relocate to their home commu-

social

“We believe not only are we giving leaders an opportunity to be equipped, but also that the students, when they come to our program, are enriching the experience for our standard students.” nities. One major value the program holds closely is reciprocity. “We believe not only are we giving leaders an opportunity to be equipped, but also that the students, when they come to our program, are enriching the experience for our standard

students,” Katherine Diehl, GML coordinator, said. “Many of them have worked in international contexts for years, so in class-

participate & bring change room discussions, their experiences are able to enrich the conversations and practice models for the average student.” While in the program, students complete the degree requirements for the standard Master of Social Work program which includes an internship at a field placement during both years. They are also in several cross-cultural electives. “Field placements provide the opportunity for students to apply knowledge to work with clients and the systems that impact them,” Diehl said. Atanas Mzee, a current student in the GML program from Eldoret, Kenya, said he joined this program to become equipped with the skills needed to “participate and bring change in the part of my world.” Once learning of Baylor’s world-class social work program, he said he knew he wanted to apply. He said he has been able to use the skills he has learned in his classes out in the social work field. “I have drawn a lot of lessons from the faculty,” Mzee said. “They are friendly and available to help and give feedback to students. This is something you rarely get elsewhere. I love it.”

WRITTEN BY JESSIE JILOVEC INTERVIEW WITH KATHERINE DIEHL + ATANAS MZEE

HERE | 13

O T

WRITTEN BY MACY MERRITT

Lucas is earning his divinity concentration in sports ministries, and he says he hopes to return to Portugal to help pioneer the develBeing thrown into a completely new culture opment of that field. The couple also has a nearly 5,000 miles from home may seem passion for the churches at home. “Of course daunting to some, but to Lucas and Soraia we have the vision to support the churches Jorge, newlyweds from Aveiro, Portugal, this in Portugal, because it’s just two to three is only the next chapter in their adventure of percent of the Portuguese that are Anglical a life together. The pair have been in Waco preachers,” Lucas explained. for only two months. “And we are married Lucas and Soraia said they are involved in for four months. So two adventures we are the Bobo Spiritual Life Center communion,” beamed Soraia. Lucas and Soraia are on ty, attending meetings and neighborhood a five year visa for Lucas to earn his Master of dinners. “We pretty much spend our free Divinity from the George W. Truett Theolog- time on campus,” said Lucas. The couple ical Seminary at Baylor. also attends church on Sundays and Lucas is INTERVIEW WITH LUCAS + SORAIA JORGE

involved in the Baylor Crew rowing team. Soraia described their home as “a small city near Porto. It’s near the sea so it’s very different from here.” Lucas added, “It’s called the Venice of Portugal because there is a small river crossing the city. It’s really colorful, like many cities in the coast of Portugal are very colorful.” Lucas explained that Baylor feels like home to them because it is made of brick just like their university at home in Aveiro. Although the couple loves the environment of Baylor, they say they have faced their fair share of challenges. “Sometimes, because we

are foreigners, some people tend to think that we are not that clever,” Lucas expressed. They explained that they have encountered many people without any multicultural understanding who treat them with less value than they would anyone else. “We need to prove our value every time,” Soraia added. A new beginning for this couple means uprooting everything they’ve ever known and working past cultural barriers. “We need to start from zero,” Lucas explained. But with a strong love for each other and a deeply rooted faith, Lucas and Soraia will thrive in their time here at Baylor.

HERE | 17

DREAMS FROM LAGOS INTERVIEW WITH TORUBEIN DONYEGHA

WRITTEN BY ANNA KATE RADER | ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLENE LEE

Baylor prides itself on having students from all over the country, but what many students aren’t aware of is the sheer number of international students walking the halls as well. One of those international students is Torubein Donyegha, a senior nursing major from Lagos, Nigeria, who is nearing graduation. Donyegha came to Baylor as a part of the CNAU/USPP (the Nigerian Consortium of North American Universities/United

States Pathway Program) in 2014. Baylor has had a strong connection with the Nigerian CNAU, the Nigerian Consortium of North American Universities, for many years. “Baylor was the most well-known university with the best program. It also was important to me to find a Christian university due to my strong faith,” Donyegha said. Donyegha is graduating this year and plans to begin her career path working

I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT CHANGING THE LACK OF ELDERLY CARE IN NIGERIA.

as a nurse in the United States. Eventually, she hopes to be able to make her way back to Nigeria. “I am passionate about changing the lack of elderly care in Nigeria,” Donyegha said. Elderly care in Nigeria is starkly differentfrom the United States. Due to the life expectancy rate being considerably lower than that of the US, Donyegha said she feels called to eventually start a nursing

home. As these CNAU/USPP students’ lives at Baylor are drawing to a close, Donyegha says she will miss many things. “I have come to love the relationships I have made here, both with the students around me as well as my professors,” Donyegha said. “I have adjusted to the Waco weather and the welcoming Christian culture at this school and have come to appreciate it all.”

HERE | 19

CHANGING LIVES ONE AT A TIME

Delia De la Cruz’s life was changed when Baylor alums, John and Nancy Jackson, decided to sponsor her as a Compassion International’s Leadership Development Program in 2010. De la Cruz began her studies at San Marcos University in Peru, one of only two students from her high school class to go to college. During her second year, she became interested in psychology and began to look for scholarships near her to pursue it. De la Cruz and the Jacksons continued to write letters over the years, and in these she asked the couple to pray for her future. She told them of her passion: inclusion of children with disabilities into Peruvian schools. After learning more about her, the Jacksons decided visit her during one of her last years of college. De la Cruz says they told her about Baylor and asked if she would be interested in furthering her education there; De la Cruz immediately said yes. “I found the school of Education and looked at programs and saw Educational Psychology … and that is what I am studying now,” De la Cruz said. “The education here is more friendly; you have relationships with teachers which is completely different. We had vertical relationships in Peru, while here we have a different kind of relationship.” While the relationships she has developed at Baylor are important, she says she also loves Baylor’s facilities in which she can study. Moody is her favorite, especially the booths in the basement. Everything that De la Cruz has been doing has been focused toward the betterment of children with disabilities. She says that with-

out people helping and supporting her in life, she would not be where she is today. De la Cruz wants to have the ability to help change lives, just as hers was changed. “I am not sure what is going to be my place, but I want to work with families of children with disabilities or children with disabilities in how they attend public schools,” she said. “It is something that is new in Peru; previously, they have always had to attend a special education school. That is what I am passionate about … giving them the same chance that I was given.”

WRITTEN BY MEGAN POWERS | INTERVIEW WITH DELIA DE LA CRUZ ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLENE LEE

HERE | 21

PHOTO BY CHARLENE LEE

N TA R A N YA M B U R A : B AY L O R AND BEYOND

WRITTEN BY ANNA KATE RADER | INTERVIEW WITH TARA NYAMBURA

From being a community leader at Baylor University, to a competitive top 100 CEOs program at Stanford University, to now continuing her mom’s business, Tara Nyambura’s faith clearly is the most important aspect of her life. Nyambura was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. When it came time to choose a university, Nyambura says she chose Baylor for its high-ranking business program but the deciding factor was the community living and learning Baylor offered. She attended Baylor from 2004-2008, majoring in marketing and was a community leader in South Russell Hall, North Russell Hall and Dawson Hall. “That was one of my favorite experiences at Baylor. Being able to plug directly into young women’s lives and encourage them was really special,” she said. “At any given time, I had 30 girls under me that I was able to talk to and mentor.” Nyambura says she was able to act as a mentor for more than 90 girls through her time at Baylor. She says that being an international student helped her as a community leader, because she understood what it felt like to be far from home. Nyambura enjoyed being a part of the Baylor culture and wants to encourage others to do the same. “I just loved Baylor, and I was able to immerse myself in all of the activities,” she said. “I think if you completely immerse yourself, that is when you get to experience Baylor as a whole.” A large part of Nyambura’s family business “Winnie’s Pure Health” is helping people create a healthy, God-centered, lifestyle. “I absolutely love the fact that Baylor is a faith-based institution. I think people take that for granted as they head out into the business world,” she said. “Having that kind of support when you’re so young in your career and having those building blocks that establish who are you and who you will become in your career and as a leader.”

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE FACT THAT BAYLOR IS A FAITHBASED INSTITUTION. I THINK PEOPLE TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED AS THEY HEAD OUT INTO THE BUSINESS WORLD.

GOING | 27

CENTER FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AMBASSADOR:

ALLISON CARRUTHERS WRITTEN BY MADISON DAY PHOTO BY LEVI NORWOOD INTERVIEW WITH ALLISON CARRUTHERS

Since high school, Allison Carruthers has been passionate about connecting with international students. As the new graduate apprentice in the Center for Global Enagement office, Carruthers is currently attending graduate school at Baylor student higher education and student affairs. She graduated from Baylor in May 2017, with a degree in international studies and minors in Spanish and business. As an undergraduate student, Carruthers was a student ambassador for the Center for Global Engagement (CGE). Carruthers said that as an ambassador, “most of what we do is help with international orientation. We make them feel welcome. It’s a hybrid of exposing them to Texas and U.S. culture. As far as getting connected to campus, the office does a Paws program which pairs international students with domestic students and part of that is kind of the same dual thing of getting to know U.S. culture and what’s out there at Baylor.” In her apprentice positon, Carruthers handles the communications for the ISSS office and oversees the work of the undergraduate ambassadors. Having just been in the ambassadors position a year ago,

GOING | 29

she says it “can be weird, because I feel very much like I’m among peers even though I’m supposed to be the leader. I was alongside them before and now I’m their leader, so that’s an interesting transition.” Carruthers says she can trace her passion all the way back to her high school Spanish class. “My junior and senior year I had a really great teacher. She was from Venezuela and just had all this energy,” she said. “She would tell us stories about growing up in Venezuela and would push all the tables and chairs against the wall to teach us the Merengue. That’s what really got me interested in Spanish and wanting to study abroad. Which I did.” After graduate school, Carruthers said she would love to be a study abroad advisor, and maybe someday live abroad in Spain. “Study abroad was awesome, but it was also very hard,” she said. “Because it is hard to live life in a culture you don’t fully know or understand. To live life in a language that’s not your first language.”

THEM BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIER BETWEEN

WRITTEN BY EMILEE POWELL | INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINE CLARK

Caroline Clark, the fresh addition to the Center for Global Engagement, is the new faculty lead programs coordinator. She says she is excited to see faculty programs come to life through her behind-the-scenes work. Clark, a Baylor Bear through and through, started her career as an undergraduate in mathematics and went on to get a master’s degree in education. She then became an academic advisor for Baylor until her recent job with Baylor’s CGE. Clark says she took the position with CGE because of her steadfast desire to be relational with all world cultures. Clark had her first international experience to Amman, Jordan, the summer after graduating from Baylor. “That experience of living in another culture really changed how I saw myself and how I saw the world,” Clark said. She explained that there is a paradigm shift that happens when one visits a foreign place and gets outside of their “bubble.”

“When I went abroad and built relationships with people that were that ‘other’, it broke down what ‘other’ meant,” Clark said. Clark says she wants students to resist the urge to make an abroad experience a tourist opportunity. Her biggest encouragement to students wanting to travel abroad is to truly engage with the local population. “Being present, and making sure [there is] space to engage the culture, and not just look at it,” Clark said. Clark is already helping faculty prepare for trips the upcoming summer. She even said that Baylor may be adding new trips to the program, possibly including Morocco, Zambia and Australia for summer 2018. Even though Clark has been in her position for a short period of time, her passion for study abroad is clear. She is going to more than succeed as CGE’s faculty programs coordinator because of her heart that reflects her love for travel and genuine relationships.

GOING | 31

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Baylor’s People Around the World Sharing (PAWS) program connects international students with American students and families to provide the supportive learning environment needed to explore and navigate American culture. Through the U.S. Student Program, American students build a relationship with an international student so they can help with both their personal and academic transition to Waco for at least one year. They have the opportunity to cultivate friendship through Fort Worth senior Lizzie Roberts, who had the privilege of being a PAWS partner. Through the program, she was able to build a friendship with Japanese student, Hannah. “I have always loved learning about other cultures, but the PAWS program gave me the opportunity to have a personal, one-on-one cultural exchange with a student from another country,” Roberts said. Roberts said her favorite thing about PAWS is that participants can get to know each other in so many unique ways. “From simple trips to the grocery store and studying at the library, to holiday road trips and late night Czech Stop runs, you really get to bond with your PAWS partner in whatever way you’d like,” Roberts said. Roberts saw the direct benefits of being a part of the PAWS program during her study abroad trip to South Korea. “On my way to South Korea, where I am currently studying abroad, I stopped by Japan to visit her and her family,” Roberts said. “It is such a cool experience to host someone and share your culture with them and then go to their country and be welcomed in the same way by their family. I will always have a family in Japan and she will always have a family in America.”

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

“WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT TAKE CARE OF YOU OUTSIDE OF HOME THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT. GOD APPEARS IN THE FORM OF PEOPLE.” The Welcome Family Program is designed to offer a “home-away-from home” experience to international students who are so far away from their own families. Families from the Waco community connect with international students a few times a month, inviting them to their home for dinner and taking the student on two off-campus experiences. Ph.D. candidate (for engineering) Soumyadeep Nag, said his transition from India was made easier by a family who took him in as their own. As a Hindu, he did not expect to be so accepted by the members of First Baptist Church. Originally, Nag used to ride his bike to get to First Baptist every Sunday. Dr. Joseph McKinney and other members of the church took him out for driving lessons and helped make arrangements for him to buy a car. Nag also said that members of the church also invited him to join their families in celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays. “Family has been a blessing for me,” Nag said. “When you have people that take care of you outside of home that’s really important. God appears in the form of people. To have such beautiful people is a blessing.”

WRITTEN BY JOY MOTON | INTERVIEW WITH LIZZIE ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLENE LEE

GOING | 33

IT’S NOT WHAT I DO

IT’S WHO I AM WRITTEN BY JOY MOTON | INTERVIEW WITH EGLE ULJAS

In January of 2005, Egle Uljas left her home in Estonia to come to the United States and run track for Nebraska. Uljas was known for running since she represented Estonia in the 400-meter dash at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. After two years, she transferred to Baylor University because of a name that captivated her interest-former track coach Clyde Hart. She was also attracted to Baylor because she found out that Baylor’s School of Music has a great department. Uljas said her strong love of piano and classical music education began at an early age. “Piano is everything to me,” Uljas said. “I think it involves everything. So, it’s just the perfect thing.” After taking some time away from school to care for her children, Uljas has returned to Baylor to work for her Master’s in Music. She hopes to find an occupation where she can perform as much as possible. “I have been teaching for several years but teaching did not really satisfy so much,” Uljas said. “I feel like I’m really so deeply into performance that I just need to find opportunities.” She said she enjoys being a part of Professor Krassimira Jordan’s studio class because of the strong level of competition and teaching. “I’m very proud to be part of it. It is truly amazing to be a part of such a strong studio,” Uljas said. Uljas said the correlation she admires between piano and track is the preparation process. She described the intensive workouts, diets, and mental preparation runners must endure to train for a marathon. She said preparing for piano competitions is just as rigorous with the repetition, memorization and pressures of not messing up. Uljas said that although the preparation for piano and track competitions is rigorous, she gets a thrill from her ability to perform after enduring such hard work. Enduring the performance is an extremely satisfying feeling for her because they show how strong she is. “Preparing for these crazy competitions is actually really beneficial because they make you so strong you see that it’s possible to do such a thing,” Uljas said. GOING | 35

S T U D Y

A B R O A D

PHOTO CONTEST Every year, students that have studied abroad on any Baylor program, submit their best photos from their trip. There are three different categories to which a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photo can place in: Architecture, Landscape and Portrait. Here are this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winners.

3RD SHANGHAI UP HIGH HANNAH MIDKIFF

THERE | 40

2ND

ARCHES ANNIKA GUNDERSON

AGAINST THE WAVE BY: RICHARD MEDINA

THERE | 47

3RD

SECRETS IN REFLECTION CLAUDIA SKOLAUT

2ND

UP THE SCHITHORN JACQUELINE YANG

BETNEATH THE STARS ANNA LOVELL

THERE | 55

3RD

MUSICA CORRIE COLEMAN

2ND

RAINY SUNDAY BRIAN KING

THE CHANGING OF GUARDS OLIVIA PEREZ

LINE CAMP IN

GUATE MAL A WRITTEN BY GABRIELLE WHITE | INTERVIEW WITH HOLLY TATE ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLENE LEE

Line Camp is a famous tradition at Baylor University. It’s a camp designed for incoming freshman to meet fellow incoming Baylor students, get acquainted with the campus, and learn about the traditions of their new school. In the summer of 2018, a Line Camp program in Guatemala will be launched for incoming freshman that have a heart for service and desire to impact the world. Line Camp Guatemala will be targeted at “new students with a desire to build friendships with students who share a common interest in service and global

cultures,” said Holly Tate, Assistant Director for Baylor Missions. The students attending this trip will have a more intimate line camp experience that covers the same big themes, but with a smaller amount of people and in a more unique setting. Baylor University strongly focuses on their student’s Christian impact and this Line Camp experience will focus on that for incoming students. “The main goal of the abroad line camp is to emphasize the importance of teaching new students to question their strengths and calling,” said Holly Tate. “This is imperative to developing students who are properly prepared to enter the work force and create a positive Christian impact.” The program will be partnering with Orphan’s Heart and be working with children aged 0-10 at their malnutrition center. The students will participate in activities of daily living, therapy, and child sponsorship. “Their project while on the abroad trip will consist of putting together sponsorship food baskets for families,” said Holly Tate. “At night, students will participate in conversations about vocation, calling, and community building, similar to a line camp experience on the Baylor campus.” Attending Line Camp is a special memory for Baylor students, remembering the friendships they made before becoming an official student. The Line Camp program in Guatemala is aiming for the same outcome, lasting friendships. The only differences between the friendships made in Waco versus Guatemala are the students will share something deeply in common- a desire to be a good neighbor on campus and around the world.

THERE | 63

RD C U L T U R E

K I D S WRITTEN BY MARY CALLEN FREEMAN |

INTERVIEW WITH JOSH RITTER + MARNIE ABRAHAMS

“SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, BEING INVOLVED WITH OTHER STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PROMOTING AWARENESS AND DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS.” Third culture kids are everywhere. These students have colorful stories of adventure overseas, but since most look just like an average American student, you might never know just how rare and extraordinary their lives have been. A third culture kid, or TCK for short, is a student who grew up overseas. Their parents’ culture is American, but the culture a TCK grows up in is foreign – making a TCK’s culture a unique blend. Since they didn’t grow up in America, it often can be challenging for TCKs to adjust to Baylor. Dr. Joshua Ritter, associate director of student life, understands the obstacles some TCKs can face. “TCKS, more than other students, are at a very high risk for substance abuse and for transferring,” Ritter said. “If they’re struggling and not fitting in, they can think a geographical move will solve the problem.” Fortunately, Baylor has a newfound commitment to foster a smooth transition for these distinctive students. A new student orientation is now offered specifically for

TCKs. Additionally, Dr. Marnie Abrahams, professor of American Sign Language, is a TCK from Indonesia and the advisor for the new student organization called Baylor Third Culture Kids. “The main goal of the TCK organization is community,” Abrahams said. “Supporting each other, being involved with other student organizations and promoting awareness and diversity on campus.” The club is a place for TCKs to share stories and adjust to Baylor together. They sometimes host monthly Neighbor Nights at the Bobo Spiritual Life Center, where students learn more about other cultures on campus. TCKs are a vibrant element of Baylor’s diverse student population, but since there is no place on applications for TCKs to self-identify, they can easily fall through the cracks. TCK students hope to advocate adding a space on the Baylor application to identify as third culture kids, so that finding other people with unique cultural experiences is easy.

THERE | 65

FOREIGN GROUND

S I X

N E W

S T U D Y

A B R O A D

At Baylor University, studying abroad is a common part of students’ college experience. The Study Abroad Program, in the Center for Global Engagement, works diligently every year to not only keep current study abroad programs running smoothly, but also to create new exciting programs. In the 2017-18 school year there are six new study abroad programs being launched. These new programs are designed to fit more students’ needs while providing an education abroad. “An international experience is good for everyone. We want to make sure there is an opportunity available to all students,” said Bobby Leis, Baylor Study Abroad director. The newest study abroad programs, launching in Spring 2018, are going to be based in Santiago, Berlin, Sydney, Prague, East Norwich and Coventry. The Santiago, Berlin and Prague programs are all similar in that they offer courses in English, but still allow you to be immersed in the Chilean, German and Czech culture. They also allow this full culture immersion by offering internships along with courses at the study centers and universities. These three programs will focus on business courses. “We realize the value of internship options for students,” said Bobby Leis. “It’s a great school, a great program, and we also ask, do you have internships? We want to give students more than just a study abroad.” The University of Sydney program differs in that it is going to be focusing on biology pre-med and education courses. The Uni-

P R O G R A M S

versity of Sydney also offers internships, but presents a lot of different potential partnerships and collaborations between faculty and students. The University of East Anglia program, located in Norwich, is going to target students who major in writing and American studies majors. Although Anglia is not a major city, the program allows for easy travel to London and Liverpool. The East Anglia program stands out because it is a bi-lateral exchange. Students from the University of East Anglia will be coming to Baylor in the same time frame that Baylor students go there. Coventry University in England is going to hone in on business programs, specifically marketing and psychology. This program also has faculty and student collaborations where the students study the courses and faculty do marketing research. In the future the Study Abroad programs hope to extend their programs to Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, India, Central Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. The directors of Study Abroad are driven to new places of the world based on the languages provided at Baylor. “When planning new programs we think to ourselves, ‘What do we get besides just the location to entice mobility?’” said Bo White, Baylor Study Abroad Director. The Study Abroad Program will continue to expand their new abroad programs each year by looking into new areas of the world that can provide the needs and wants of students at Baylor University.

WRITTEN BY GABRIELLE WHITE | INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY LEIS ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLENE LEE

THERE | 67

CHARLENE LEE

HALEY CLARK

MARY FREEMAN

ANNA LOVELL

EDITOR IN CHIEF + CREATIVE DIRECTOR

WRITER

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

MELANIE SMITH

JESSIE JILOVEC

WRITER

LEVI NORWOOD

PHOTOGRAPHER

CORRIE COLEMAN

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

CHARLENE LEE

BRIAN KING

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS COORDINATOR +EDITOR

CAROL PERRY

EDITOR

AMBER ADAMSON

EDITOR

ROBERT LEIS

PHOTO EDITOR

JOY MOTON

WRITER

GABRIELLE WHITE

WRITER

PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

MACY MERRITT

HANNAH MIDKIFF

OLIVIA PEREZ

WRITER

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

ANNA KATE RADAR

ANNIKA GUNDERSON

WRITER

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

MEGAN POWERS

RICHARD MEDINA

WRITER

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

MADISON DAY

CLAUDIA SKOLAUT

WRITER

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

EMILEE POWELL

JAQUELINE YANG

WRITER

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

WWW.BAYLOR.EDU/GLOBALENGAGEMENT

PHOTO BY CHARLENE LEE

“THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, AFTER ALL, IS TO LIVE IT, TO TASTE EXPERIENCE TO THE UTMOST, TO REACH OUT EAGERLY AND WITHOUT FEAR FOR NEWER AND RICHER EXPERIENCE.”