Living in a whole new world
Liberty’s global studies program allows students unique travel experiences
At about 5 a.m., four Liberty Students stepped off a plane and into a different world where they would be making their home for the next three months.
Traveling the world and getting to live in new cultures is a dream that many people share.
Through Liberty’s global studies program, this dream became a reality for JoAnn Little and three other students.
Little is a senior majoring in global studies. In spring 2016, she had the chance to live in Central Asia as an intern.
The internship is a requirement for students who are majoring in global studies.
GLOBE — Students can travel across the world in the global studies program. Photo credit: Michela Diddle
Students spend a semester in another country and receive 15 credits for their academic work and service in their location.
The internship is a requirement for students who are majoring in global studies.
“I’m so glad, though, that they require it,” Little said, “It’s so much fun.”
Students who are minoring in global studies have the opportunity to intern overseas as well but are not required to.
Before leaving, the department of global studies had to prepare Little and her team for the cross-cultural experience.
“When we consider the student internships in global studies, we see that extending far beyond the semester they spend in another country,” Director of Global Studies Internships Chesed Dent said.
“It’s a process that begins with the entry-level academics that build a foundation for a worldview that rightly reflects God’s global heart and continues beyond the internship.”
It was still dark when Little’s team landed, and Little said she remembered the cold January air.
“I remember hearing how cold it was, but not understanding until I stepped off the plane,” Little said.
“That was my first impression.”
Bordering the mountain range of Russia, the country where Little and her team spent the semester was a clash of cultures between atheism and Islam.
“When you’re walking down the street, people don’t look you in the eye,” Little said. “They don’t smile. It’s a very cold feeling,”
While they may have visited a country that predominantly follows a religion other than Christianity, Little said this was a great opportunity to share her faith.
Little’s team was sent into Central Asia to teach English to the students there.
Her day would typically begin around 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and a quiet time.
Around 9:00 a.m. they would leave for language class.
Little and her team would have to walk about a mile to class.
According to Little, the sidewalks were covered in 2-3 inches of ice.
Following language class, the team would go to lunch.
They were located in a large city and had a variety of options.
“We tried to find a unique place every day,” Little said.
After lunch, they would go back to the apartment where they were staying and work on their online classes.
Around 2:30 in the afternoon, they would go to either an English class or club.
Little said it would vary depending on the day.
After English class, the team would hang out with students from various classes.
According to Little, some of the students would even spend the night at their apartment.
Through moments like these, Little said she had the chance to develop deep relationships with the students.
“I think the reason for that is because most of our conversations were centered around Christ,” Little said.
She said the students there were genuinely interested in hearing the Word of God.
“Eventually, it got to the point where they’d ask what we believed and why we believed it,” Little said.
“The student generation is so thirsty for truth. You can see they’re seeking something more than the atheism of their Soviet grandparents and the Islam of their parents.”
Other than the friendships she developed overseas, Little said some of the things she misses most is the Bazaar (a market place) and seeing the mountains.
“These (Blue Ridge Mountains) are like little hills compared to theirs,” Little said.
Little’s adventure is an example of what a student’s life overseas may be like.
However, each individual experience is unique.
The department of global studies’ internship program offers many opportunities for students to travel overseas, see new places and experience different cultures, and serve those cultures as representatives of Christ.
“Our hope is that our students are walking away as effective cross-culture champions for Christ,” Dent said.
Editor’s Note: JoAnn Little’s name was changed for security purposes.
Kehrman is a news reporter.