Internationl Experience
Reading the story about Kabuika and her experiences as an international student at DePaul University was terribly sad, but also inspirational. In thinking about that, though, there is a very good chance that students here at the U are in a somewhat similar situation. There are hundreds of international students here, and I’m sure that there is a good chance that they have had difficulties of their own when it comes to their family back home. Even if the problems they are having are not nearly as severe as Kabuika’s it still must be very difficult being in a strange country, especially when there is a cultural literacy barrier. From personal experience, worked with a lot of international students at my on-campus job at the beginning of the school year. One particular experience sticks out the most in my mind. A young man came into our office nearly every day. He barely spoke English and he was in a new school in a new country with no one helping him out or telling him how to get around. He didn’t know where most places were on campus and he had a hard enough time understanding my directions, let alone finding his classes. One day after I taught him how to pay his tuition bill online, we got to talking about his family. His father had died when he was a child and his mom worked really hard to help him fulfill the dream of going to college. When I think about what a lot of people have to go through to get an education, it makes me feel really fortunate.
Comments
I feel the same way. After hearing her story and all she's been through I feel really lucky to be in college and doing as well as I have been doing. As hard as I have to work and as stressed as I feel after reading this article I feel fortunate to have the life that I have and the things that I do. Also, as much as this country is suffering right now I think that it could be a lot worse, although I think the situation is escalating at a scary pace compared to the state the republic of Congo was in sevral years ago we are doing ok for right now but if Bush kepps making the decisions and choices he is I see nothing but bad things for this nation.
Posted by: rachael goerger | October 13, 2006 11:20 PM
Nicely put Kate! After reading the article about Kabuika, I also feel fortunate about college. Most students are at college just because it’s the next step in life. They think that the life cycle goes as such: high school, then college, and then a job. While the average student is at college, they are not focused on the same things as Kabuika was during her time in college. Kabukia considered herself to be privliledged to be able to attend college and learn new things. Most students just go to college because that’s what their parents want them to do. Also, most students in college aren’t focused on getting an education like Kabukia. Most students are just in college so they can get a good job. Education was a very important part in Kabukia’s life. She went thousands of miles away from her family to get an education. Most college students live fairly close to their hometowns and are able to visit their families often.
Many students, including myself, take college for granted. College is a great place to learn and grow as an individual. It may be fun at times, but it’s important to remember why we are here.
Posted by: Alex Christianson | October 14, 2006 6:55 PM
I agree with you Kate. It's hard to realize that this is true for many students at our own University. We may not know it ourselves, because of the fact that we are not in the same situation as them. While you are just walking to class everyday I'm sure you pass several students that are struggling, or put into the same situation as Kabuika. It's hard to believe that such horrible and difficult obstacles are thrown at such young people. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't think that I could last a whole month if I were put in to the same situation as Kabuika.
Posted by: Justin Hasbrouck | October 15, 2006 6:24 PM
I thought you brought up a really good point about students at the u of m. I never thought about that there may be students here who have lived through a simular situation.
Posted by: Kristen Erko | October 15, 2006 8:43 PM
Its hard to think about that situations like that may have actually happened so close to here, whenever you hear stories like that I always think about people ill never meet in places ill never see. Its wierd to think that yeah there probablly are students here at the u who have been through a simular situation.
Posted by: Kristen Erko | October 15, 2006 8:45 PM
I think Kate makes a really good point about the privileges that many of us don’t realize we have. First of all, I believe that we are extremely privileged because of where we were born. We don’t have to fear a dictator taking over the country, or military rule being established. We are also fluent in English, a language which is currently becoming common almost everywhere in the world, regardless of the native language. This gives us the ability to travel without being forced to learn another language, because in most tourist areas there are English speakers. The women of America do not have to abide by rules that differ from those of men, at least none as extreme as wearing an outfit that covers every inch of our bodies. Overall, the citizens of the United States are privileged in a way that the people in the articles we read are not, for the most part.
Posted by: Sarah Stackley | October 15, 2006 9:06 PM