Six recent high school graduates who will be starting classes at Kent State University this fall got a head start on their college education by studying abroad at Kent State’s Florence Summer Institute in Florence, Italy.
Tajee Anderson, Rachel Brown, Jalessa Caples, Iniah Dunbar, Dennis Meacham and Isaac Talley were part of the Seminal Six – the first group of students in a pilot program that seeks to offer underserved students the opportunity to experience global education beyond their local communities. The program was created by Kent State’s Office of Global Education and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The students, who had chosen to attend Kent State for college, were part of the university’s Upward Bound program that helps to increase educational opportunities for first-generation, low-income students. The Seminal Six had rarely traveled outside their neighborhoods and some had never been on a plane prior to their education-abroad experience in Florence this summer.
“I think Tennessee is the farthest I’ve ever gone,” said Dunbar, from Akron, Ohio. “I’ve done five or six small trips with Upward Bound to see colleges and one family trip to see my grandma.”
Diversity & Global Education Initiative
Marcello Fantoni, Ph.D., Kent State’s associate provost for global education, said Kent State’s program is a huge step in the right direction in leveling the playing field for underserved students and offering them a worldly perspective.
“Global education gives students opportunities for cultural enrichment, academic development and career enhancement,” Fantoni said. “Unfortunately, the most underserved students — minorities, disabled, economically challenged, socially challenged — are virtually shut out of the international education experience.”
“The Office of Global Education and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are in partnership to support the academic growth and development of diverse students from many cultures,” said Alfreda Brown, Ed.D., vice president for Kent State’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “We believe embracing multicultural competencies encourages a more dynamic understanding of diversity and inclusion. Together we hope to create a more welcoming and affirming university across a variety of cultures, using the term multiculturalism in its truest understanding, for both domestic and international diversity.”
Experiencing a New Culture
In addition to attending classes, studying and doing homework, the students got to explore Italian culture and cities on weekends.
“We went rafting, and we had a cooking class where we made pasta from scratch and tiramisu. We went to Rome and Pisa, which was pretty cool,” Dunbar said.
The language barrier did not hinder these students from fully immersing themselves in the Italian culture, with some of them taking advantage of their Italian language classes to learn how to make conversations with locals.
“Prior to departure, I did not speak any Italian, but I took an introductory course while I was there,” said Anderson, from Lorain, Ohio. “Initially it was a challenge. The language barrier was hard to get used to, but the class made it easier for me to pick up on the language.”
For Meacham, who wants to become a music educator, studying in Florence not only gave him the opportunity to experience music from a different culture, but also helped him achieve his desire to gain a more structured view of the world.
“I saw a few music venues in Italian opera, and we went through a piazza where there was a band playing,” he said. “I would like to continue learning about music from different cultures. I would really like to go to Asia or Africa and see their styles of music.”
Meacham, who is from Barberton, Ohio, said he fell in love with a lot of things in Italy.
“I really don’t like being in cars — everyone walks there,” Meacham said. “I was able to cook, and a lot of the foods there are fresher, which is really nice. I learned some of the language as much as I could even though I did not take a language class while I was there.”
Impact of Studying Abroad
Dunbar, who will major in athletic training and has a goal to be the first in her family with a college degree, always knew she would want to study abroad someday.
“I just knew I needed to study abroad,” Dunbar said. “Being in America, you only get to see American things. They say it’s a melting pot, but the other cultures are watered down, and you don’t get to see it in full effect. So when you get to go to another country and see it at its peak and at its best, it’s completely different. You have to be thankful for that experience. You can’t appreciate something until you know what it’s about.”
“This was my first time being away from my family, which I think was very important for me because through this program, I’ve gained a lot of independence,” Anderson said. “I couldn’t just call my mother and ask her how to do something; I had to learn on my own.”
Anderson believes that studying abroad is something that all students should try to do at some point in the course of their education.
“There are things that textbooks can’t teach students, which you can only experience through living other cultures,” said Anderson, who will major in psychology at Kent State. “Before I left, I wasn’t really globalized and I didn’t really know about things outside my hometown. I’ve learned there’s more to life than what I’ve always known.”
Read more about the benefits of global education and these Kent State students’ education-abroad experience featured in U.S. News & World Report.
For more information about Kent State’s Office of Global Education, visit www.kent.edu/globaleducation.
For more information about Kent State’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, visit www.kent.edu/diversity.