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Unforgettable learning experience in Morocco
For most Americans, the Atlas Mountains are a faraway place of dreams.
For me, it has been an unspeakable joy when I wake up each day to see the majestic mountains that rise more than 13,000 feet across the northwestern stretch of Africa.
Since January, I have spent the spring semester in the International Studies Abroad program in Morocco.
A junior international studies and finance major at the University of West Florida, I earned a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
Thanks to the scholarship, I am able to study Moroccan culture and Arabic, one of the most difficult, ancient languages in the world.
The Gilman Scholarship is offered to students with little financial means to pursue academic studies in a foreign country.
It is an opportunity of a lifetime to be among the 800 students awarded the prestigious scholarship out of more than 2,700 applicants.
I also was one of 60 students selected to receive the Gilman Critical Need Language Award.
My trip is not only educational, but it also is a cultural and socially enriching experience. Of 26 students in the program, I am the only one from Florida. Women, however, make up the majority of the program. Statistics show they study abroad more often than men, and the statistics are significantly lower for minority students.
As a scholarship recipient, I am honored to shine a bright light on UWF, showcasing that we can compete with top institutions across the nation.
This recognition will hopefully open doors to an institute for Middle Eastern Studies at UWF. I want to be the trailblazer for making that happen. Currently, UWF does not have a strong Middle Eastern Studies program like Florida State University.
Civilization here brings a fresh outlook because I get to sample traditions and cultures from history’s past. It reminds me of Florida because of the cultural diversity. One morning my Arabic professor paused to ask the class, “Where are your roots? Because I do not know mine.”
Many citizens identify as Moroccan, but it is difficult to trace their ancestry like many of us can in the U.S. There are some cultural similarities and differences between Morocco and America. Moroccans love American culture, from clothes to literature (like Tennessee Williams) to food to music.
In Morocco, I’ve eaten some of the most delicious foods like Cous-Cous, a famous Moroccan dish prepared in Tangines.
I live in a dormitory-style apartment with five other students. We have a house mom. She treats us like her children and her food tastes like love.
Twice a day, for six days, she prepares home grown and organic meals. Baked desserts are delicious almost daily treats. It is custom that lunch is the most important meal of the day with heavy preparation, and dinner serves as a light incentive.
Studying Arabic in Morocco has been a rewarding experience and will help address the need for students with critical language capabilities, as we are currently dealing with diplomatic challenges in the Middle East and the damages they could pose to the international community.
It will benefit me because I am exposing myself to a unique and fascinating culture and marketing myself to possible global job opportunities.
Language skills are imperative in today’s global job market. Arabic is a “critical need” language. A “critical need” language is a term used by the United States to highlight a large demand for non-Western languages (such as Arabic) for which there is little supply in language professionals in that area.
In-class instruction is the best way to learn the language.
To understand Arabic, you must learn to read right to left. I am in class about 3 hours a day, four days a week, but we move at a moderate pace. Because of the grammar, it has proven challenging in the past couple months.
Yet, I try to apply what I learned in the classroom. Even though Arabic is the official language of Morocco, French is the second unofficial language and it is popular largely due to French colonization in the early 1900s.
My favorite class is Arab media, because it is the only class I use English to discuss international media and its connection to Middle Eastern issues. We talk about the influence of news organizations like Al-Jazeera, Al-Hurra, and Al-Arabiya, and how dictatorial government controls the press.
One afternoon, after my presentation, my Arab media professor said to me: “As a Floridian, I thought you were going to give me a bunch of mishmash. Today, you gave Florida a star. I think you did excellent! Now I visit Florida.”
As a first generation Jamaican-American, I never dreamed I would travel so far to study a foreign language.
I have soaked up a vast amount of knowledge, but my stay in Morocco is not nearly enough to fully grasp the language.
I have been accepted to further my studies this summer in Arabic at Middlebury College, a prestigious Vermont-based liberal arts institution.
I hope to attend Middlebury’s Arabic school in Oakland, Calif., but I may not be able to go because my mother, a single parent, who also takes cares of my sister with Down’s syndrome, can’t afford the expenses.
The program costs $11,425. I received a $6,000 scholarship. I added my meager savings of $365. I have until May to come up with the remaining $5,000.
This program is expensive, but it is an investment, a program that comes with many benefits. It increases my chance of getting into my dream school, Georgetown University, as well as starting my career at either the United Nations or any international organization.
A Malayan proverb says that one can pay back the loan of gold, but one is forever in debt to those who are kind.
My studies end on April 30, and I return to the states on May 2. It has been a most enjoyable and educational experience that I will always cherish and remember.
I can never pay back the people who have helped me gain this wonderful learning experience.
But the long-term benefits will greatly outweigh the costs.
Source: pensacolatoday.com