TAMIU Student Group Travels to South Africa

A select group of 15 Texas A&M International University freshmen students will begin their New Year in South Africa as part of a Study-Travel opportunity.

The students are participants in the “Reading the Globe” Program, part of the University’s Campus Read directed by University College.  Students were selected based on a competitive essay and interviews following the study of author Mark Mathabane’s bestseller, “Kaffir Boy:  The True Story of a Black Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid in South Africa.”

Making the over 9,200-mile, 19-hour trip are students Alexis Charles, Alexzandra Flores, Ana García, Tirza Guerra, Lauren Gutiérrez, Arely Hernández, Jihan Kuri, Rebekah Kawas, Trevor Neeley, Cristina Olivares, Rebekah Rodríguez, Juan Ruiz, Alexa Vázquez, Melissa Vázquez and Leah Wisner.

Among Program highlights are stops in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital; Soweto, home to 3.5 million people; the home and museum of the late President Nelson Mandela and the Apartheid Museum; the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve; the Lesedi Cultural Village; Capetown, the Cape of Good Hope and The Boulders Penguin Colony and the prison which housed Mandela for 18 years on Robben Island.

The students will also be part of a service interaction with the children of Kensington’s Water Sprite Nursery School, to include helping to paint student classrooms. Students will be sharing their travel experience in real-time on TAMIU social media.  

The group is being accompanied by Gerry Alva, associate vice president for Student Affairs; Rebecca Garza, University College instructor; Dr. Hayley Kazen, University College instructor; Dr. Alia Paroo, assistant professor of history and graduate student mentor Cornelius Kipkorir.

This is the sixth year the program has been offered.  To see more about previous  “Reading the Globe” study-travel programs, including photo galleries and reflections, visit http://www.tamiu.edu/spotlight/index.shtml

For additional information, contact Dr. Conchita Hickey, dean of the Office of University College, at 956.326.2605.

Spring 2014 classes at TAMIU begin Wednesday, Jan. 22.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu