The summer experience for any College of Charleston student is different. Students are scattered throughout the state, the country, and even the nation taking classes and internships, visiting areas on vacation, or just laying low at home before the fall semester begins. For these seven students, the HSS Dean’s Excellence Fund gave them high-impact learning experiences that will help transform their academic experience. Dean Jerry Hale states: “We don’t want a student to be denied a life-changing opportunity for lack of financial support.” Thanks to our donors, the School was able to fund these students.
Religious studies major funded to do humanitarian work in Ghana.
Julie Hudson volunteered for the Dolly Foundation, a registered non-profit organization, which improves the lives of orphans and underprivileged women and children by providing food, clothing, shelter, and education and by teaching entrepreneurial skills. Before Julie left for her trip she said, “My goal would be to help these women and children, while gaining hands-on experience in international, non-profit humanitarian work–the field in which I plan to build my career.”
Nia with fellow classmates in front of the John Lennon wall in Prague.
Nia Strothers (left) in Poland learning the language and culture with a cooking class
Communication major funded to go on CofC study abroad in Czech Republic and Poland.
Nia Strothers joined two Department of Communication faculty and a group of students for two weeks in Prague, Czech Republic and two weeks in Krakow, Poland where she visited Terezin and Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps; the Wieliczka Salt Mine; Prague and Wawel castles, cathedrals and synagogues.
Psychology students awarded to travel to Cambodia and Vietnam.
Emily Beck and Carley Stanley joined Department of Psychology prof. Jen Wright to study classes titled “The Developing Child – The Role of Culture and Community” and “Emerging from Violence.” Emily writes, “This scholarship allowed me to gain exposure to an entirely different country and culture where I was able to further my knowledge about psychological needs in an underdeveloped country.” Thanks to the funding, Emily called this trip “a once in a lifetime experience.”
English and arts management student awarded for her CofC study abroad trip to Spoleto, Italy – Charleston’s sister city.
Ashley De Peri with fellow classmates in Spoleto, Italy
“I believe studying abroad is vital to experiencing a truly liberal arts education that is immersive and well-rounded,” Ashley De Peri wrote before her trip. This program, hosted by English department faculty Dr. John Bruns and Mr. Bret Lott, allowed Ashley and her fellow students to write and study literature, as well as to meet with artists and writers living in the city. Students and faculty shared meals, held readings, and spent quiet time writing and reading.
CofC study abroad program in Russia – the perfect opportunity for this anthropology major and Russian Studies minor.
Kathleen Holden studied abroad in Russia to learn more about the application of anthropology in business, specifically her interest in the cultural and economic effects of hosting the World Cup. Saransk, the location of the CofC program, will be one of the Russian cities that will host the World Cup in 2018. Kathleen conducted interviews from the people of Saransk to learn how they are preparing for the big event. She noted, “The independent study allowed me to gain experience in the field and use the tools taught to anthropology students, as well as actively use my Russian.” “This opportunity,” she says, “helped me gain valuable, firsthand experience that will assist me down the road in both my academic and professional careers.”
Communication major goes on multidesitination CofC summer abroad trip to Austria, Germany, and Italy.
Laura Cergol was able to study in Europe this summer – something she had never done before, let alone leave the country – with faculty in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “This is my first time out of the country and I am looking forward to studying intercultural communication and gender issues while actually immersed in a different culture,” she wrote before her trip. This program gave Laura and her fellow classmates exposure to three different communities, which allows for significant cross-cultural comparison and analysis.