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Henry Mitchell Scholar Fall 2014

Traveling the world has always been a huge dream of mine. When I got the chance to study abroad with the UM/UWC exchange program, I quickly took advantage of this opportunity. I had previously looked into other study abroad destinations but because of the exchange program between the schools, this one was much more affordable and seemed like the best fit for me. Looking back I made a great decision to choose to study in South Africa and at UWC.

I cannot lie, the application process was a bit hectic but I can’t say I was not warned about this. However, with the help of Kate Wozniak, Emma Spong, Debra Lamson, and other UM/UWC staff, I got all of my materials in order and eventually made it through the process. My warning to future students looking into this exchange program is to plan to be very flexible, independent, and patient with the process, as it can be a little bit frustrating at times. I had the option of living on campus at UWC in the Kovacs dorms; however, I chose to independently secure my own housing in a suburb of Cape Town called Observatory. (I knew someone who previously studied in Cape Town at UCT and she recommended this to me). While I did enjoy UWC’s campus, I am extremely happy I chose to live off campus and closer to the city. I did not rent a car during my stay in Cape Town, but if you choose to stay on campus a car seems almost vital as there are not any grocery stores in walking distance and the surrounding areas of campus are a bit dodgy. In Observatory though, a car was not really necessary as access to all forms of public transportation are very close by. I will say though it takes self-discipline to stay off campus and make sure you still attend classes because it was roughly 1 hour to commute to and from campus each day. If you have the self-discipline I highly recommend it because there is so much more to do closer to Cape Town!

At orientation, Debra introduced us to other exchange students who I quickly became friends with, especially because many of them also stayed in Observatory. The other really cool part about Obs (this is what the locals call it for short) is that there are a lot of foreign students and interns. So in addition to meeting South Africans I also had the opportunity to become close with people from Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Colombia, and more. I quickly fell in love with the country and all of the amazing things to do there. From hiking, to nightlife, to festivals, to amazing places to eat, there was never a dull moment during my stay. I even got the opportunity to do a bit of travelling within the country. South Africa is amazing because within a few hours’ drive you can be in an entirely different, but still beautiful landscape! After spending five months in South Africa, I have so much love and appreciation for this country, its people, and its amazingly diverse culture. Everyone I encountered was so friendly and eager to help me find my way around. Although South Africa has eleven official languages, it was never difficult to communicate because nearly everyone speaks at least a bit of English.

This experience was among the most incredible experiences of my life. I made friendships I will keep for life and got the opportunity to experience one of the most beautiful countries in the world!

Being so independent during the entire process also made me grow as a person and showed me the things I can accomplish if I really set my mind to it. I am so thankful for being given this chance to experience another culture firsthand and immerse myself within it. All of this never would have been possible without Kate Wozniak, Emma Spong, Debra Lamson, and all of the other UM/UWC staff who helped me in my journey. Thank you again to the Henry Mitchell Scholarship for making this possible!