Chloe Finley (left) with a friend in Japan. (Photo courtesy of Chloe Finley.)
A junior Language & International Trade-Japanese major, Chloe Finley, received the AIG Bridging Scholarship for her study abroad at Sophia University in Tokyo this year. Eighty-eight undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States were named recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan. The winners receive awards of $2,500 to assist with their expenses while they study in Japan.
The Japan-US Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Japan, initiated the Bridging Project scholarship program to promote study abroad in Japan by larger numbers of American undergraduate students. The scholarship program is administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese, which promotes education in Japanese language, literature, and culture.
Elizabeth visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid, the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family. (Photo courtesy of Graciela Tissera.)
Hi! My name is Elizabeth Simpson, and I am a senior Health Science major with a minor in Spanish. I’ll be graduating in May, and will hopefully be going to graduate school to become an Occupational Therapist. In Spring of 2017, I studied abroad in the Faculty Directed Program to Seville, Spain.
As a Health Science major, I was able to complete courses that counted directly towards my requirements for graduation, such as a course in Hospital Administration and a course in Global Health Services Management. I was also able to complete my Spanish minor, and also take courses that I would not typically have access to here at Clemson, such as a class about Spain’s role in the European Union. Another plus about this program is that I got to live with a Spanish family that was carefully chosen as part of this program. My host family was amazing, and it was great to be able to be a part of a family. My host mom, Menchu, cooked all of our meals and did our laundry. Menchu was also able to answer any questions we had about Seville, or Spain in general. The best part is that all of this was included in the cost of the program that I paid to Clemson!
Elizabeth and classmates with one of their professors, Dr. Fernando Díaz Buiza. (Photo courtesy of Graciela Tissera.)
However, my favorite part of my study abroad experience overall was that I had so many opportunities to travel! Through the program, we took trips to places such as Madrid, Córdoba, Cáceres, and Mérida. One of the professor’s from the program led these trips, and gave us insights and information that we wouldn’t have learned in any other typical tour of these places. We also had excursions to places in Seville, like the Cathedral and the Royal Palace, where again, we learned more from our professor than we could have from a regular tour. Apart from the school trips, I was also able to travel with friends from my program to many different cities in Europe, including Lisbon, Portugal, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Chefchaouen, Morocco.
Elizabeth and classmates in Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Photo courtesy of Graciela Tissera.)
Though I traveled as often as possible, I always loved returning back to Seville, because it was my favorite city that I visited my whole time abroad. During the spring semester, we had two weeks off from school because of events going on in the city. The first week was for Semana Santa (Holy Week), and it was such an incredible experience. During Semana Santa, there are multiple processions each day leading up to Easter. These processions were incredible to watch. The other break followed two weeks later, and that was for the Seville Fair, which was again an incredible experience. My apartment was right next to the fair grounds, so I was able to go and enjoy the fair almost every day. Everyone dresses up, and many women wear flamenco-style dresses.
I am so happy that I chose this program to study abroad. I was given so many unique opportunities, such as class work that counted towards my major and minor, living with a host family, and also traveling with my program. I was also able to immerse myself in the culture of Seville by attending celebrations for Semana Santa and the Seville Fair, going to watch Flamenco shows, and even participating in a Flamenco dance class. Though certain aspects of studying abroad are difficult, I believe that this program was best because first of all, the directors are always available to help in any way, and second, because it is through Clemson. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! My email is efsimps@g.clemson.edu.
Clemson students Catie Silva, Sarah Burton, Kylie Cash, Marina Velo, Fatema Bhagat pose with Seville resident director Carlos Valencia. (Photo courtesy of Graciela Tissera.)
Dr. Carlos Valencia, Resident Director of the Clemson in Seville Program, talked about the program highlights during his presentation on September 19 and at the Study Abroad Fair on September 20, 2017. Dr. Carlos Valencia received his doctorate in 19th-century Spanish literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before teaching at Wake Forest University and the University of Richmond. Among Carlos’s professional interests are the application of new technology to Spanish language instruction and the incorporation of volunteer work into curriculua as a sociolinguistic and cultural learning tool.
Sean Cosh at the Study Abroad Fair. (Photo courtesy of Graciela Tissera.)
The following students also participated to share their experiences in the Seville Program, Spring 2017: Carine Brown (L&IH), Fatema Bhagat (L&IH), Sarah Burton (L&IT), Kylie Cash (L&IT), Sean Cosh (Minor in Spanish), Kate Czerkawski (L&IH), Catie Silva (L&IH), Marina Velo (L&IH), and Melissa Williams (L&IH). The students talked about classes, trips, business and health internships, group projects, and how the professors abroad helped them to reach their goals in education. The International Spanish Program and Internships in Seville, Spain is a unique program designed for students in Modern Languages-Spanish, Language and International Health, Language and International Trade, and a minor in Spanish. Those who wish to embark on this journey are rewarded with the chance of a lifetime to explore Spanish culture and to experience working in a number of different business and healthcare environments. For more information, please contact Dr. Graciela Tissera, Program Director (gtisser@clemson.edu).
Melissa Williams, Kate Czerkawski and Carine Brown at the Study Abroad Fair. (Photo courtesy of Graciela Tissera.)
Johannes Schmidt, associate professor of German, visited the OTH Regensburg, a new partner university in Bavaria, Germany, in June 2017. The week was filled with meeting faculty, administrators, and students at the OTH as well as seeing the sights of the medieval historic center of the city. In Regensburg he saw three Clemson students, the first group to study at Regensburg. The week also included a visit to Infineon, a large semiconductor company where Clemson Computer Science student Dani Durham interned for a semester. Jennifer Rogers (Language and International Trade, German) spent the summer semester at Regensburg and will return in the fall to begin an internship with Mercedes Benz. Andrea Wiggins (Modern Languages, German) will stay in Regensburg for another semester.
Clemson student Dani Durham at Infineon. Photo courtesy of OTH Regensburg.
While in Regensburg, “Herr” Schmidt not only promoted Clemson as a study abroad destination for Regensburg students but also gave two guest lectures. “German Economy and Culture in the USA” was presented in German and discussed the historical influence of German culture and Germany’s business presence in the US today, as exemplified by businesses in Upstate South Carolina. Two major German companies with ties to Clemson University were used as case studies. The lecture/workshop “Holocaust Education in the US” — delivered in English — informed attendees what kind of information and how material related to the Shoah is presented in US middle and high schools as well as colleges and universities. The participants also researched and discussed the strong engagement of institutions and museums (like the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.) regarding the topic.
The current partnership agreement is to be extended to a full study abroad and faculty exchange program. After his visit, Schmidt said, “The OTH was extremely welcoming and made my visit enjoyable and very informative. I now feel even better sending our students to Regensburg.”
L&IH students at the Victoria Eugenia Hospital in Seville. (Image provided.)
Language and International Health (L&IH) students studying abroad in Seville, Spain through the Centro Internacional de Estudios Culturales (CINECU) have the opportunity to do internships at the Victoria Eugenia Hospital. The three-month, 135-hour internship allows students to directly observe the structural and functional organization of the healthcare system in Andalusia. These internships were facilitated by the Institute of Health Education, a hospital partner that organizes events and courses designed to combine practical experience with theoretical knowledge.
Building Healthy Communities in the Dominican Republic fall trip 2016. Photo courtesy of Arelis Moore de Peralta.
Building Healthy Communities in the Dominican Republic is an undergraduate research and study abroad Creative Inquiry (CI) project led by Dr. Arelis Moore de Peralta. The project is an interdisciplinary, holistic effort dedicated to improving the health of Las Malvinas, a poverty-stricken community in the Dominican Republic (DR). Moore de Peralta holds a joint appointment with the Department of Youth, Family and Community Studies and the Department of Languages.
A trip to Las Malvinas in November 2016 allowed for planning and partnership building with the Universidad Iberoamericana, the DR’s Ministry of Public Health, and Las Malvinas community members. Joining Moore de Peralta on the trip were David Vaughn, Professor of Practice, Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC), and two of his students who are also program coordinators (Hunter Lee and Jack McLeod); Dr. James H. Spencer, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education, CAAH; and Katherine Brown, a CI Project Research Team Leader.
Building Healthy Communities in the Dominican Republic fall trip 2016. Photo courtesy of Arelis Moore de Peralta.
Community members in Las Malvinas hope for an organized community health plan and local government’s involvement in sustainable improvement projects. The Clemson CI project aims to conduct a Community Health Assessment and to develop a Community Health Improvement Plan in Las Malvinas. This experience improves students’ cultural competence and critical thinking skills, and allows them to develop evidence-based learning skills to conduct research beyond the CI class.
Building Healthy Communities in the Dominican Republic will take a spring trip in March 2017.
Ed Arnold at a Medieval Fair in Nabburg, Germany in 1996. Photo courtesy of Ed Arnold.
Ed Arnold, professor emeritus of German, taught at Clemson from 1968 to 2000. Prior to joining the faculty, he taught for 10 years at A.C. Flora High School in Columbia, SC, and he also taught high school in Nabburg, Bavaria, during the 1973-74 school year. Among his many projects and accomplishments, Arnold translated two books dealing with the Revolution of the Candles in East Germany by pastors Joerg Swoboda and Theo Lehmann. He also directed Dionysia and Declamation competitions with Jacques Macy, professor emeritus of French. Arnold worked with the Language and International Trade (L&IT) team, securing a number of German/Swiss internships.
Arnold started a pen pal program with his German students at Clemson in 1972; all but one of the addresses were in East Germany. The German study abroad program began in 1980; students lived with German families and took classes in Bavaria. “The highlight of my 31 years at Clemson was my 12 study abroad trips to both West and East Germany from my home base in Nabburg,” Arnold said. “Many pen-pal relationships and three marriages formed that are still active to this day. I meet occasionally with past participants even now.”
After retiring from Clemson, Arnold translated another book and is searching for a publisher. He continued taking groups to a unified Germany in 2002, 2004, and 2006. “The participants were mainly friends I had known for many years,” Arnold said. “My 2006 trip was about 20, mostly from my own extended family.”
This year marked Arnold’s most recent trip to his former study abroad site. “My son took me to Germany as a birthday present for my 80th,” he said. “My heart nearly burst as I returned once again for about the 25th time to ‘my Nabburg.’ It was a special surprise when I met the current mayor in town. I had taught him English in 1973.”
Clemson and local students at a public pool in Nabburg during the first German study abroad program in 1984. Photo courtesy of Ed Arnold.
Arnold has been involved with several charitable organizations during his retirement. He has worked extensively with Pickens County Habitat for Humanity, which recently celebrated its 100th house. “I am proud to be able to say that I have worked on at least half of them, and hope to continue for a while,” Arnold said. In addition, Arnold told the Polyglot, “I started an organized effort on behalf of ALIVE Wesleyan Church in Central whereby a rotating group of three of us purchases between 600 and 700 pounds of food one day each month from Bargain Food Store in Pelzer. Funds are pledged for Clemson Community Care.”
Arnold and his wife, Miriam, enjoy spending time with their seven grandchildren.
Language and International Health (L&IH) students studying abroad in Seville had the opportunity to visit the Valme University Hospital, as part of an intensive seminar on the public health system in Spain. Accompanied by the director of the Clinical Imaging Diagnostics Management Unit, Rafael Aznar, and the healthcare director, Javier Román, the students explored different imaging technology, including ultrasounds and MRIs. They also visited the Maternal Imaging Diagnostics Unit, where radiologist Fausto Rubio, the coordinator of the unit, showed the visitors how imaging professionals work, the modern facilities, and the latest technology. The visit provided a practical complement to the students’ theoretical knowledge, especially in the area of X-ray diagnostics, and the students benefited from learning about professional healthcare opportunities.
L&IH students visit the University Hospital of Valme in Seville, Spain.
Please see the full text of the press release in Spanish below.
NOTA DE PRENSA
Estudiantes norteamericanos de Ciencias de la Salud visitan el Hospital de Valme para conocer su organización sanitaria
Han profundizado en los diferentes dispositivos asistenciales de la Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Diagnóstico por la Imagen
El Hospital Universitario de Valme de Sevilla ha recibido la visita de un grupo de 10 estudiantes de la Universidad de Clemson (Carolina del Sur) dentro de un seminario intensivo sobre el Sistema de Salud Pública en España impartido por el Centro Internacional de Estudios Culturales. La cita ha servido también para que estos alumnos universitarios pudieran conocer las características del Sistema Sanitario Público Andaluz.
Se trata de una iniciativa formativa que, a través de esta visita, completa los conocimientos teóricos adquiridos por los citados estudiantes. En el hospital sevillano han podido conocer la organización de la sanidad y el diseño de la asistencia hospitalaria, así como las respuestas clínicas ofrecidas.
Concretamente, el grupo de estudiantes norteamericanos se ha interesado por el área de Radiodiagnóstico. Acompañados por el director de la Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Diagnóstico por la Imagen, Rafael Aznar, y el responsable de Cuidados, Javier Román; los alumnos han visitado los diferentes dispositivos de esta especialidad. Inicialmente, el área de radiografías convencionales, radiología digital directa, ecografías, TAC, telemando, sala de radiología vascular intervencionista y resonancia magnética.
Posteriormente, se han desplazado a la Unidad de Diagnóstico por la Imagen de la Mama donde el coordinador de la misma (el radiólogo Fausto Rubio) les ha dado a conocer cómo trabajan los profesionales, las modernas instalaciones y la tecnología de última generación; así como les ha trasladado la experiencia en técnicas punteras para ofrecer una respuesta asistencial eficaz y de calidad. Es el caso de la mesa prona, biopsia al vacío o la mamografía digital con contraste.
A lo largo del curso académico el Hospital Universitario de Valme recibe la visita de numerosos estudiantes, especialmente de Bachillerato de la rama sanitaria, a quienes se informa sobre las posibilidades laborales del área de la salud y, de este modo, contribuir a su orientación académica y profesional.
Student interns visit the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío in Seville, Spain. (image provided.)
Clemson’s unique Language and International Health major combines coursework in languages (with concentrations in Spanish and Chinese) and public health. A highlight of the program for those concentrating in Spanish is the healthcare internship experience in Seville, Spain. Students have the opportunity to complete internships at both public and private hospitals and medical centers. The program also provides an overview of the health system in Spain, specifically in Andalusia, through visits to several local hospitals, a guided tour of the Andalusian School of Public Health in Granada, and the opportunity to interact and converse with local healthcare politicians from Dos Hermanas, a town near Seville.
During the semester-long program, organized through the Centro Internacional de Estudios Culturales (CINECU), students complete five courses for a total of 45 contact hours at Estudios Universitarios y Superiores de Andalucía (EUSA), a private school which has been affiliated with the University of Seville since 1996. Courses focus on improving Spanish linguistic competence and expanding cultural knowledge of Spain, including its medical structure and institutions. Students stay with families in Seville, thereby allowing them to experience the local culture firsthand.
Thanks to Clemson’s agreement with the CINECU, L&IH students studying in Seville can do their internships at the Victoria Eugenia Hospital, a private hospital which belongs to Spain’s Red Cross. It is a 140-hour program in which the students rotate among the different sections of the hospital observing admissions, emergency, intensive care, outpatient, rehabilitation, pharmacy, and surgery.
The internship in health administration allows students to learn about the organization of the healthcare system through direct observations and experiences in hospitals and clinics. Using their observational and experiential data, as well as information from coursework, students produce a final report, which summarizes and analyzes the differences and/or similarities found between the health systems in the United States and in Spain.
Students Natalie Kimmey, Chardrevius Martin and Elouis Cram (center) interned with staff at the San Juan de Dios del Aljarafe Hospital in Seville, Spain. (Image provided.)
Chardrevius (Dre) Martin, a senior Language and International Health-Spanish major, spent the spring semester of 2015 in Seville. He plans to pursue a degree in medicine and noted “the knowledge that I learned in these courses will give me a much better understanding of how all types of healthcare systems work.” Dre describes his internship, “I worked in the Department of Preventative Medicine at a hospital outside of the city. I was able to participate in [a] point prevalence study of hospital-associated infections called EPINE/EPPS. This study is done throughout Europe to determine what infections are most prominent and their risk factors. I learned a wealth of knowledge through this study and by following physicians around during consults with patients infected with various infectious diseases.”
Caroline Korte, Elouise Cram, Michelle Fuentes, and Natalie Kimmey enjoy the Feria de abril en Seville, Spain. This week-long festival celebrates the traditional culture of Seville, including flamenco singing and dancing. (Image provided.)
Dre and other students who participate in the internship program not only gain practical experience in the healthcare field but also learn about another culture by living with families, taking courses and making new friends. Dre sums up his experience, “Studying abroad changed me in many ways, but the most important thing it gave me was respect for others and their lifestyles, which goes far beyond just tolerance for those things. If I had the chance, I would do it all over in a heartbeat because […] the wonderful people I met, food I [ate], [and] music I heard all worked together to make Sevilla a place I will always call home.”
