Short-Term Study Abroad Scholarship Program
Each year, typically two students are awarded a travel scholarship for a short-term study abroad during one of the long semester breaks. Interested students devise their own travel and research plans according to their own nursing interests and then submit them for application. Upon returning from their trips, students then share their experiences in a variety of ways, including giving oral and poster presentations.
Recently, two of our students on the scholarship program visited New Zealand and Kenya. They share some of their experiences below.
Hauraki, New Zealand
Being a good listener and supporting self-determination
Haruka Ikegami
I volunteered for three weeks at a special needs school in New Zealand. There I experienced a communication barrier because I was not used to the pronunciation of the multicultural staff and students. I observed how the staff encouraged communication by focusing on the students’ interests and abilities and helping them express themselves. The staff did their best to listen to my simple English, too. Through this interaction, I learned the value of an attitude of working to understand, and I realized that the promotion of self-determination was something the school and nursing had in common. This study abroad experience enabled me to realize how important it is to encourage and support self-determination.
Embu, Kenya
What I learned in Kenya about supporting people in the community
Yoshie Kawahara
I spent two weeks as a nursing student in Kenya, and learned a lot about Kenyan life and education, agriculture, welfare, and medical care through volunteering, including hospital, orphanage, and home visits and participating in a farm homestay. In particular, home visits to AIDS patients made me think about the current state of the patients and their families. It also made me think about the standard of services needed to assist those in the community living with disease. I hope to take advantage of this learning opportunity to be able to care for people of all nationalities and cultures.
