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Jackie
Jackie's Bio
Jackie is a 21-year-old Amherst, Massachusetts resident currently earning a degree in Economics and African Studies as a Junior at Hampshire College. She is studying at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, South African, and is experiencing something wholly different from most study abroad students. As she said in her audition:
I believe that my experience abroad will be one that is often ignored in the world of study abroad - that of an international student going back 'home'.
I'm an international student in Massachusetts, and I hold Mozambican citizenship though I only lived in the country until I was eleven years old. For most of my life I have lived in places other than my country, I left Mozambique to become a resident in Pretoria, South Africa in 1995. My adoptive parents worked for UNICEF and so they decided to take me with them to South Africa at eleven. I enrolled at a boarding school and stayed there for a good five years until I transferred to another school in Swaziland. Once I was done with my tenth grade in Swaziland I transferred once again: I moved to a public high school in Urbana, Illinois and I graduated from there in 2004.
Now, as a junior at Hampshire College, I decided that I would like to return to Southern Africa and do a semester at the University of KwaZulu-Natal - the only university my school has a formal exchange program with. My hopes are that the semester there will rekindle me with the cultures and customs that I was brought up with (both South African and Mozambican). Since arriving in the United States I have seen a lot of international students begin to forget their heritage, culture and even religion to fit in with the rest of the people here in the U.S. So my experience would serve to encourage those international students thinking of study abroad to return to their countries - especially to developing countries in need of individuals with higher education. My experience would also serve to non-African students who are afraid to travel to the different countries within Africa because of preconceived notions they have of the continent. There are certainly plenty of safe cities one could spend a semester in within this large continent, and my trip would serve as an example of some of those places safe enough to be visited."
If you want to learn more about Jackie, and the fascinating reason why she is studying abroad in Africa, read her short Q & A below:
What is the aspect of your upcoming semester that makes you most excited?
I'm most excited about working with in the community once I arrive in Durban. I'm currently enrolled in a community based learning course where students are asked to pick one issue in the community and work with community members on ways to solve it. Since I've done extensive research on HIV/AIDS and development strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa I plan on focusing on one of those two issues. I'm hoping that my work during that time will lead to my thesis-like project at Hampshire in my final year (we call it a Division III project).
What are you looking forward to the least in your upcoming semester?
I'm mostly scared about the crime rate in South Africa. It's no secret that South Africa has one of the highest levels of crime in the world and that Johannesburg has become known as the world's crime capital. I'm definitely hoping not to be part of these statistics.
What made you want to study abroad?
When I chose my major(s), I knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to return home (Mozambique) and work with the government on development issues-- and so I picked Economics and African Studies. However, after three semesters of courses in those areas I realized that many of the issues my professors spoke of were of a western perspective. So I decided I wanted to go to Southern Africa and see what people there think are the most urgent issues and their suggestions for fixing them. My school's recently established exchange program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal allowed me to pursue that interest.
Why did you choose this destination/program?
I chose this program in particular because the financial aid package that I get at Hampshire covers the entire cost. My first choice was going to the University of Cape Town but that wasn't possible and so I went with what I could afford to do. The idea of going to school in Mozambique wasn't much of an option either, only because I've been studying in English since I was in fifth grade and I don't think switching to Portuguese will work out too well.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I enjoy reading, sewing, knitting, dancing (Latin dance) and volunteering. I'm particularly interested in working with children from disadvantaged communities. Community development projects are also a big interest of mine, at times because of their positive impact and other times because of the lack thereof.
What are your favorite books and magazines?
Favorite Books
- We Killed Mangy Dog by Luis Honwana;
- Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe;
- The End of Poverty by Jeffery D. Sachs
- Surviving the Slaughter - The Ordeal of a Rwandan Refugee by Marie Umutesi;
- The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde;
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel;
- Native Son by Richard Wright.
Magazines
- VIBE
- Cosmopolitan
- The Economist
- The New York Times Magazine
What type of music do you listen to?
R&B, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Hip Hop and Pop.
What are you favorite TV shows and movies?
TV shows
- Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- Colbert Report
- CSI: Miami
- Grey's Anatomy
Movies
- Blood Diamond
- The Lion King
- Lord of War
- Love and Basketball
- Elf
If you could have dinner with one famous person - alive or dead, historical or celebrity - who would it be and why?
If I could have dinner with one famous person I think I'd pick Jeffery D. Sachs, economics professor at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Sachs' work as an economic advisor to the United Nations, IMF, World Bank has been inspiring to me. He is very much interested in the well-being of people more than just the economic models that he proposes. As an economist its hard to factor 'the people' into one's decision-making but Sachs has managed to stay grounded and incorporate 'the people's' experiences and recommendation. He is a true genius and his resume is proof of that.
If Jackie's insights peak your interest, check out her blog and start interacting with her.
