September 15, 2010
Checking in with students abroad
Students restoring graves at the Anglican Church in Jamaica to learn masonry.
Students traveling abroad this semester are settling into school and internships in a different country.
Spain, China, France, and Greece are just a few of the places where you’ll find Lake Forest students this fall. Fifty students went to to eleven countries in September to spend the semester learning, living, and, in some cases, working in a new culture.
The College offers five off-campus study programs in Paris, Granada, Greece, Beijing, and on the U.S.-Mexico Border, and is planning two additional programs in New Zealand and in the Middle East. Students wishing to study in other countries can work with staff at the College to find programs that fit their academic and cultural interests.
Lake Forest’s Granada and Paris programs require that the students work an internship, giving them work experience abroad. Clair Perrot ‘12, who is preparing to start her internship in Granada this week, said “It will be interesting to work with native speakers, since I’m not used to their Andalusian accent yet.”
The College also offers a summer architectural preservation program in connection with the University of Virginia in Falmouth, Jamaica. Only two students are selected each year. Erin McGinley ’11 studied there in the summer of 2009 on a Groner Scholarship, named for Grace Groner ‘32, who gave a $7 million gift to help Lake Forest students attend off-campus study and internship programs. “The best part about our trip in truth had nothing to do with beaches or what a typical tourist would want from Jamaica,” said Erin. “The people we met and those we worked close with on a daily basis at Falmouth Heritage Renewal and other community members comprise the remarkable experience of studying in Falmouth.”
Students keep in touch with the College throughout their experience, some through email and others through social media. For example, Eli Becker ’12 is blogging about her observations of the different perceptions of beauty in Paris on her blog (flûrt), v.i.
Students find their study-abroad experiences life-transforming. “There is absolutely no substitute—book, seminar, anything—for being there; for doing it,” said Kelsey Parks ’11, who studied in China for an entire year. “I will definitely be studying or working abroad in the next five years. My life as a global citizen has begun, and once the ball gets rolling… well, there’s just no way to stop it.”
News Contact
Liz Libbylibby@lakeforest.edu
847-735-6010