International students from Alfred University take weekend trip to Washington, D.C.
Eight Alfred University students, six of them members of the International Students Association, went on a weekend trip to Washington, D.C., where they toured the White House and visited other key sites in the nation’s capital. The trip continues the ISA’s efforts to provide students with diverse experiences through exposure to different American cities.
“The United States is a very big country and there is a lot to explore. Taking advantage of going on these trips is a plus, especially for those who aspire to work and live in the United States,Brian Ngatunga说, ISA主席, remarked after the 3月 22-24 venture to Washington.
“作为一个俱乐部, we travel to a different American city each semester to provide diverse experiences to students,恩加通加说, a senior business analytics major with a minor in marketing from Tanzania, 非洲, referring to past trips the ISA has taken to New York City, 波士顿, MA, 和匹兹堡, PA. “A trip like this could give a student a small picture or preview of what life, 文化, and overall feel is like in a particular city. The experience in Alfred, NY, is very different from 波士顿. Students enjoy going to various attractions in the cities visited and see how unique they are from other cities.”
在他们去华盛顿的旅途中, 学生们, accompanied by Rachael Smith-Vaughan, associate director of regional admissions at Alfred University, 参观了白宫.
“The Secret Service at the White House provided information about the East Wing as we toured,恩加通加说, 他也访问了华盛顿, 和白宫, during a DC Purple Cities 领导 Forum held in 3月 2023. “It was fascinating for students to learn that after 1 p.m., the touring spaces are reversed back to a normal living space for the President and his family. So, we were actually ‘house guests’.”
Of the eight students who went on the trip, six were from either France or the 非洲n nations of Tanzania and South 非洲. 除了白宫, the group had the opportunity to visit various monuments in the city and tour the Planet Word Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of American 历史, and the National Museum of 非洲n American 历史 and Culture.
Some of 学生们 spoke of the benefits of going on the ISA-organized trips, which ranged from developing camaraderie and relationships among fellow students and learning about other 文化s through travel.
“I would say that the greatest benefits for attending trips like this as an international student are the connections I made with the other students,克莱门特·佩特里说, a glass science and engineering student from France. “The fact that we were together for the visits and the meals helped a lot to learn from all the 文化s and experiences that are different for everyone, and I am really glad to see other perspectives while we’re doing the same thing. +, even if we had really bad weather, I enjoyed very much the activities we did during the weekend, because I wouldn't have done them if I'd come alone.”
“The shared happiness of our experiences with fellow international students in Washington, D.C., played a pivotal role in strengthening our friendship and a sense of belonging as a family,Yohana Katani补充道, a first-year computer science major from Tanzania.
“Alfred can feel very small and it’s very good for international students to learn through travel, 不仅仅是教育,Nkanyiso Dlamini说, a sophomore philosophy and theater major from South 非洲, who also serves as events coordinator and social media manager for the club. “There’s more to do so we can be kept busy. If you don’t have a car (in Alfred) it’s really difficult to go places and this gives us the opportunity to see new things constantly.”
The trip to Washington was bittersweet for Ngatunga, who in 2022 led efforts to resurrect the International Student Association, which had been inactive for several years.
“I am immensely proud of the remarkable growth our club has achieved,” he said. “While it saddens me to acknowledge that my journey with the club is drawing to a close as I transition to the next chapter of my life, 的记忆, and bonds made will forever hold a special place in my heart.”