My experience studying abroad in Ghana enhanced my academic pursuits by allowing me to see how important it is to eventually get my master's at Michigan State. This will allow me to have the academic experience to make the changes I want to make in the child development field.

I was able to see the similarities and differences of how the concepts I am learning in my courses relate to what I learned from the schools and education policy makers in Ghana which was very informational.

This experience abroad also enhanced my career goals by broadening my awareness of how much more I could do to impact the lives of our youth all over the world.

My experience abroad affected me on a personal level by being able to live out one of my dreams. This experience was truly special to me because for as long as I can remember I have been wanting to go to a country in Africa and volunteer at the schools. Michigan States study abroad program helped my dreams come true and this is something that will forever be impactful to my academic, career, and personal pursuits.

Although many Ghanaians speak English, I was able to learn and improve my ability to communicate in this environment by being very patient and not only just being patient to the person I was trying to communicate with but also asking/hoping that they would be patient with me as well.

Being an African American woman in the US and at Michigan State University can be hard when you aren't surrounded by those who look like you and being able to experience the people and culture in Ghana allowed me to feel comfortable in my own skin.

Name: Nadia Foster
Status: Sophomore
Major: Child Development
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Program: Child Development in an African Context in Ghana