Katie Lazdowski ('02) spent the fall of her junior year in Cameroon, located in western Africa. If you are interested in studying in Cameroon, visit SIT's Cameroon site. To learn more about Cameroon, check out the links below.
A Semester in Cameroon
I spent the fall semester of my junior year in Cameroon on a program run by the School for International Training (SIT, based in Brattleboro, Vermont). I had a wonderful semester in Cameroon, and was very impressed with SIT's ability to provide a fulfilling experience for the participating individuals. The structure of the program had an emphasis on culture and development.
The program was structured so that we lived with host families the majority of our stay. We were able to do an extensive amount of group travel, providing us with an appreciation of the diversity of the country has to offer. Cameroon is known as "little Africa" because of its representation of various aspects of other African countries- (culturally, religiously, climatically, etc.) Through home-stays we were able to be fully immersed in Cameroonian culture, living as a member of the family. By the end of the semester we were ready to embark on our own, individual adventure: the Independent Project. Having gained an understanding and appreciation of Cameroonian culture, each student decides where and on what to conduct research. I spent three weeks in a remote village studying what role education plays in the lives of the village people. The people displayed a warm welcoming manner throughout my stay and I reaped the benefits of their hospitality. I was able to offer them a greater understanding of my own 
culture, clarifying some of their ideas about the American culture. 
The people in this village were representative of those we met all over Cameroon- always hospitable and giving of themselves.
I chose to study in Cameroon because of the fact that it is a French-speaking country. I came home at the end of my semester with a greater knowledge, not simply of the country, but of the people and their rich culture.
Katie Lazdowski
Class of 2002
Majors: French Studies, Sociology
