Hello! I’m Isabel, and this is my blog! With this first post, I’m just going to get everyone up to speed about my abroad experience and probably ramble a bit about my motivation and my plans. Thanks for tuning in, everyone.

I’ve known I wanted to study abroad since I was a little kid, staring up at my grandfather who towered over me at 6 feet, 4 inches. (For you history buffs, that’s how tall Abraham Lincoln was.) My grandfather spent his career establishing the study abroad programs for the California state universities. Convincing his bosses to let him do this was a big deal, since at that time America was steeped in a very isolationist mindset. Sending young people to Russia? It sounded ridiculous. But, it turns out the notion that peace requires cross-cultural relationships and understanding was powerful. It still is, I believe. So, carrying on this Allaway family tradition means a lot to me for multiple reasons.

While I’m so happy for my friends who spent time in European countries travelling, experiencing new places, and maybe connecting with their roots, I knew that wasn’t going to be enough for me. I also didn’t want to spend yet another semester on a college campus in college housing somewhere, even if it was in a different part of the world (Go Brits, but it’s time to push myself more.) I wanted something a bit less comfortable, something that would feel more grounded to me. It was also important to me that I get real-world opportunities to enhance my sociology and public policy studies. Those wishes are what drew me to South Africa, and to the School for International Training.

SIT is an international network of educational programs based on immersive home stays and field study. Each program has a specific theme, with set courses geared towards that theme taught by local experts, not just professors on a campus. My program’s theme is Social and Political Transformation, which I’m really excited about because it’s a perfect blend of my sociology and public policy studies at Albion (Hello, nerd heaven). My full course load will include learning the Zulu language, “Memory and Reconciliation in South Africa,” and “Development, Transformation, and Nation Building.” I’m also taking a Research Methods and Ethics course since I’ve opted for the Independent Study Project track instead of an internship. I want to push myself as a researcher after co-authoring papers with my professor at Albion (shoutout to Dr. Matt Schoene), and eventually mold my ISP into my Honors thesis during my last semester back at Albion. More to come about my research plans later 🙂 If you’d like, you can learn more about my SIT program here: https://studyabroad.sit.edu/programs/semester/spring-2019/sfd/

I also want to take a moment to talk about privilege. Since I’ll be learning about apartheid’s fall and the impact it still has on South Africa, it is in no way lost on me that I’m a white person traveling to a country that, only 25 years ago, had a government whose mission was to degrade black Africans with a system of institutional racism that makes similar systems in our world’s history seem mild by comparison. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, too: what an interesting thing it will be to be a white guest in a country whose very laws acknowledge the fact that racism is real, and that simply because the institution was dismantled doesn’t mean it doesn’t still impact society. I expect to leave the United States and find my white privilege to be nothing but amplified, in addition to the considerable privilege I have to spend this incredible time abroad. I think it’s going to be pretty uncomfortable sometimes, and I’m honestly counting on that in order to have the type of transformative experience I want. I believe South Africa is going to be the perfect place to push myself as a student, researcher, and ally.

The choice has been a little tricky for some to wrap their heads around, though. I can’t tell you the number of times a (well-meaning, I’m sure) white person (usually an adult) has expressed alarm that I’m going to Africa, told me to make sure I’m safe, and made some comment about how “a girl like me” can never be too cautious. Yes, the continent of Africa has been war-torn and plagued with violence. Yes, I’m planning on making smart decisions in a new country. But let’s take a moment to reflect, as long as we’re here: How much of your concern is based on fact, and how much on stereotype? How much are you assuming about an African country just based on its continent? And since we mentioned facts, do you know the extent to which first world, capitalist economies like ours are responsible for the conflict that makes Africa seem so scary? A goal of mine for this semester is to get better at having these conversations with people, and to understand my own answers to those questions.

I’ve been reading a book called Beyond the Miracle by Allister Sparks in preparation for my trip, and it’s helping me answer a lot of questions. I started out this post talking about why I it’s important for me to study abroad. Sparks has also helped me answer why it’s important for me to study abroad in South Africa, specifically. He writes that “the world cannot turn away from the country where the 1st and 3rd world meet,” since Nelson Mandela’s vision for a new South Africa was crucial for Africa’s salvation and for the salvation of the rest of the world. Thanks so much for reading all the way to the end of this, if you made it this far. I’m excited to keep writing about my experiences, for the sake of my own self reflection as well as staying in touch with my friends and family back home.

-Isabel

PS – Since this adventure is quite costly, I’ve made a GoFundMe that you can find with this link: https://www.gofundme.com/isabel039s-semester-in-south-africa I have to fund my research expenses (travel, equipment, etc.) on my own, so your support would be much appreciated! And, in return, you’d get to read even more interesting blog posts! Yay!