We’ve likely heard someone “study abroad” because it’s mentioned by teachers, parents and some older students. I have an experience to share and an opportunity for community-college students to pursue a scholarship travel immersive experience in the North African country of Tunisia.
I participated in the Amideast’s CASE [Community, Activism and Social Entrepreneurship] Program in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia.
You may ask, “What is the significance of this country?” Tunis, the capital, is a city along the Mediterranean coast, part of the Roman Empire’s notable city of Carthage, and more recently, a flashpoint for the Arab Spring revolution beginning in 2010.
In my 2023 fall semester at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), I read an e-mail about study-abroad opportunities, and Amideast was listed.
I examined the description, and I was immediately intrigued by the opportunity to learn about community engagement and activism in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa). I applied on their Website and later had a phone interview. When I received the acceptance late last year, I felt exhilarated.
Fast forward to June 2024, a few weeks after my spring semester ended at NOVA, I was boarding a plane at Washington Dulles International Airport, flying to Africa for the first time.
In the CASE program, we had panel discussions ranging from post-colonial society, labor and migration, gender and feminism, environmental sustainability and civic engagement. We also spent a lot of time with Tunisian college peers sharing their experiences living in Tunisia, activism and similarities/differences between the U.S. and Tunisia from their participation in the YES Program, an exchange program supported by the U.S. Department of State.
We had multiple tours: the Roman city of Carthage, historic Medina markets and the National Bardo Museum. We engaged in community service on the beach of La Marsa and helped prepare an urban garden in the Medina neighborhood of Tunis.
If anyone is college-aged and is interested in learning about the Middle East, Muslim cultures or cultural exchange, I strongly endorse the Amideast CASE Program, which also included Willie Brown and Gisele Ortiz from NOVA.
The experience was one I will continue to cherish, and I aim to share the study-abroad opportunity with other college-aged students.
