"Out of the frying pan, into the fire," may be the best way to describe the experience of three education majors who "wanted to immerse themselves in a foreign culture, experiencing life in another country." Thousands and thousands of miles away from Berea's campus, the study abroad program allowed them to do that.

This past summer, Ashley Small, '02, spent a month in Mexico, Allie Twiggs, '02, went to Hondurus from July to August and Michael Smith, '99, lived in Zimbabwe for most of the summer."

Small, a Paducah, Ky., Spanish major, compared her stay to the college's (January) short term abroad experience.

"One of my goals in applying for Mexico was to improve my conversational Spanish. The host family I stayed with welcomed me with the words, 'Mi casa, su casa,' and they certainly made me feel at home," said Small. "Of the five family members only the mother spoke some English.

"Living as a family member, immersed in their culture, I became less selfconsciousness, fluently speaking Spanish just as I had hoped. We took classes at the academy during the day and traveled quite a bit throughout the country, visiting many of the places we studied or read about. I was participating in the culture, not observing it."

Allie Twiggs and her four siblings grew up in Lenoir City, Tenn., helping their Dad with his YWCA fundraisers but didn't participate "hands-on."

"Berea's been very good for me, allowing me to put my idealism into action," the education major stated.

As a freshman, Twiggs volunteered for the service outreach programs, People Who Care and Berea Buddies. Working diligently with Berea Buddies she was asked to manage that program. Last spring she learned of the national program Los Amigos. Through Los Amigos and the college she planned an independent study on Community Health Sanitation in Hondurus.

Twiggs and two other students stayed with a local family of ten in ....., a poor farming community. "Sometimes projects are undertaken before the local economy and technology is ready," noted Twiggs. "For instance, installing indoor bathrooms is progressive, but if there is no water system in place, it's not going to do any good."

That's why the students first asked what was most needed when they arrived.

"So we built trojas (corn bins), gallineros (chicken coops), pilas (for water retention), and fogons (stoves) which helping the local community sustain their particular life style, " said Twiggs.

"It was obvious that the technological and ecological capabilities of the community had not been fully considered. I saw where aluminum cans, snack size food packages and battery operated gadgets had been recently introduced to the area, but there were no recycling or disposal plans in place, so the ground was littered with the containers and batteries. The batteries were so profuse, the children used them for toys and game board pieces."

History education major Michael Smith's internship took him to another continent-- ...., Zimbabwei, very different from Berea and his hometown, Spindale, N.C.

That contrast was just the kind of experience Smith sought.

"I wanted to experience how it felt to be a minority. I wanted to put into practice the college's great commitment 'simple living.' I wanted the challenge of teaching English as a second language," said Smith. With my history background, I was looking for universal absolutes; what is a common theme that all people might use as a coping tool for daily life?"

Before the study abroad, Smith worked closely with Susan Henthorn, reference librarian who did a sabbatical in Zimbabwe last spring and history professor Dr. David Nelson, whom Smith calls his mentor.

"I can appreciate Berea's student/teacher ratio and that my ideas are listened to and cared about. I don't think that would be a given at a larger college or university," Smith says. "I know the value of study awards and appreciate the International Center and the work they do to accommodate students."

"I may not realize the impact of the Zimbabwe experience fully for several years down the road," said Smith, "but I'm a better person for it."