As someone interested in studying abroad in Ghana, I got very excited when I heard that Emma Lovejoy was giving a presentation on her experience studying abroad in Ghana last spring. My mother grew up overseas and two of the countries she lived in were Uganda and Somalia, and so I have always wanted to travel to Africa, specifically East Africa. However I know that out of the more than 365 countries the Guilford Study abroad office offers programs in, Ghana was a more viable choice. This is because not only is it an amazing program, but it is a faculty lead program, which means that the cost is that of a normal semester at Guilford plus airfare. And you get to travel with other Guilford students, but stay in homestays where you really become immersed in the culture. Considering all of this, I was already very interested in studying abroad in Ghana. So I went into the presentation hoping to learn enough that my questions would be answered and I would decide to study in Ghana next spring.
Emma presented in King 127, the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) on Tuesday September 10th at 7pm. She had a presentation and a table full of beautiful cloth and beads and other cultural pieces. In attendance was her aunt and uncle, the faculty advisor, Bob Williams, Daniel Diaz from the Study Abroad Office, and Jorge Zeballos, Director for Diversity training and development in the MRC. In attendance as well were two exchange students from University Cape Coast in Ghana, and of course Guilford college students interested in studying abroad in Ghana in the future.
This presentation was a perfect example of Guilford’s core values Community. Emma brought many communities together for her presentation, for example: the community of students interested in studying abroad, the students already committed to studying abroad in Ghana this spring, the MRC community, the Study Abroad community, the community of Cape Coast exchange students, and others. Not only did she have people who have direct connections to Ghana attend her event, but other community members who are interested in Ghana attended without having a personal connection to Emma or the MRC. And then there were the people who had very personal connections like the two exchange students, who were then able to help us build a community of people in the room who cared about this trip. They were able to inform us about aspects of the country that even Emma was unsure about, because they had lived in Ghana their entire lives, whereas Emma spent around 4 months there. I saw fliers all over campus about her presentation, and got multiple emails and saw her entry in the daily buzz. For a campus where it is quite difficult to get students to care and make efforts to attend events, the community turnout was awesome.
Through her presentation I learned much about the community she formed in Ghana as well. She lived with a host family who became like a second family to her while she was there. She made friends at her University, and in the village she lived in. From what I understand, her trip to Ghana changed her life, and she is planning to return to visit her Ghanaian family this January! That alone certainly shows the deep level of community Emma built while studying abroad, and how she was able to translate this to her community at Guilford.
Pictures by Emma Lovejoy anf Fiona L-M