"Upper-middle-class black girl goes to Africa- 'the motherland'- connects to her roots, and comes back a changed person. It all sounds too cliché. But, more or less, that is what happened to me this past summer, although my African friends advised me never to refer to Africa as the motherland. The term feeds a primitive, tribal imagery of Africa that they would not like to propagate. The five weeks that I spent in South Africa as a member of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program changed the way that I see myself and the way I see the world." Read excerpts from Lora's journal whilie studying abroad in the Fall 2007 CIPA Atlas.

Ari Bookman

University of Cape Town, South Africa (Fall 2004) and Emory European Sephardic Jewish Culture Program (Summer 2004)

Ana Fuchs

James Cook University (Fall 2003) and Emory European Sephardic Jewish Culture Program (Summer 2003)

After studying abroad in Cape Town and throughout Europe, Bookman graduated from Emory in 2005 with a double major in English and History. He recently started a Ph.D. program in English at Northwestern University. After studying abroad in Townsville, Israel, and throughout Europe, Fuchs graduated from Emory in 2005 with a double major in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and Jewish Studies. She is teaching this year while exploring other ways to support her travel habit. Mali is next on her list. Read excerpts in The CIPA Atlas from a blog created by Bookman and Fuchs to document a year-long adventure that took them through 18 countries on five continents. “We took this trip because we believe that as Americans we have a unique responsibility and opportunity to know the world and protect it,” Bookman and Fuchs write. “We wanted to see the different ways that people live, listen to many different points of view, and better understand our place in the world.”

Karen Gordon

Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Academic Year 2005/06

Emory British Studies Program, England
Summer 2005

"Studying in Ireland completely changed my outlook on the world and made me aware of how much I’d be missing in life if I never left the country. I’d always viewed the world with America at the center, but found this perspective to be really limiting when I got back. The American way of doing things isn’t necessarily the only way or the right way! The most valuable things I learned, like open-mindedness and confidence, can’t be measured or graded. I was skeptical that my experience would make me more attractive to prospective employers, but it’s definitely true. Having studied abroad immediately tells them that I’m independent and curious. Whenever people look at my resume, the year I spent in Ireland is always the first thing they ask me about. I was able to return to Dublin during my senior year with a grant to conduct archival research about Irish literature, and I think that a long-term, demonstrated interest in a particular region or subject also says a lot about your dedication." Read about Karen's current job with MedShare International in the Fall 2007 CIPA Atlas.

Jolyn Taylor

Chemistry Studies Program, Italy
(Summer 2004)

Duke in the Andes, Bolivia
(Fall 2004)

Taylor graduated from Emory in 2006 with a double major in Chemistry and Spanish. She fulfilled major requirements on the summer program in Italy. As a pre-med student, she also doubled up on her science courses her sophomore year to give her the opportunity to spend a semester in Bolivia. According to Taylor, "I have not had a single medical school or scholarship interview where I have NOT talked about [my study abroad experience]. It's given me greater credibility when I say that I want to work with Doctors without Borders, specifically working with underserved populations abroad (hopefully in South America). Also, having had this experience sets my application apart from many others applying for medical school because I was fortunate enough to travel and see a part of the world that not many do. As a result of the flexibility built into the Bolivia program I was able to volunteer in two public hospitals and see challenges and hardships physicians face in the poorest country in South America. Without fail medical schools interviewers have commented that having sought and had such experiences really strengthen my application because they show a willingness to adapt to new environments and exposure to difficult situations. This study abroad experience also helped me to see where I want to go career-wise. When I applied for the Marshall Scholarship, my time abroad served as a base for formulating my proposed plan of study in public health. During my finalist interview, being able to give first-hand accounts of life abroad was a definite plus. [After studying abroad,] I returned to Emory with a greater appreciation for public health, new-found appreciation for the ease of life in the United States (for the majority of people anyways), and deep gratitude for the opportunities I have (which leads to a firm desire to pursue a career in which I can give back to the underserved)."