The anticipation for my semester abroad in Nairobi continues to build. Tickets have been purchased, classes have been requested, and I have enough vaccine in me to single-handedly fight off the black plague. In preparation I’ve purchased a couple of books on Kenya’s history and the Swahili language. I think there are several questions that ought to be answered prior to my departure that people have been asking me (and to some extent I’ve been asking myself).
- Why Kenya? American University’s study-abroad program in Nairobi is most-unique. Unlike most partner-school programs where students simply show up and attend a foreign university, this is what’s called an “enclave” program. While we take classes at the United States International University, we also take two classes together as a group, and serve the local community through an externship program — allowing us the opportunity to get hands-on experience and to develop relationships with the locals. Aside from the uniqueness of the program itself, the opportunity to live, travel, work, and study in Kenya is not one that you can just pick-up and do any day — much less so than somewhere like London or Rome. Plus my studies to this point have brought me here. Having focused on economic development in sub-Saharan Africa since my senior year at Culver until just recently completing a research paper on economic integration of the East African Community with much in-between.
- I’ll keep adding to this list, leave your questions.
