Aug. 14, 2007

Name: Tracie Hiatt
Hometown: Springfield, VA
Graduation Year: 2007
Major(s): Biological Foundations of Behavior
Country of Study: Kenya
Institution or Program: School for Field Studies

Q: Everyone walks into a new situation with some preconceived notions about what's to come. Which of your preconceptions was the most accurate? Which was entirely inaccurate?

TH: It seems that it is difficult not to have a preconceived notion of what Africa is like. Kenya is gorgeous (as to be expected) and boasts novel flora and fauna that I never could have experienced back home. At the same time it is a third world country and has the problems that go along with that--it's hard to not notice the poverty that has stricken the country and everything that comes along with that. I wouldn't say that anything I thought before I went was entirely inaccurate, however, the semester was full of surprising findings and adventures I had never imagined before.

Q: Describe the defining moment of your experience thus far.

TH: The best part of the program I choose was that it was research intensive, The second half of the semester was entirely based on going out into the field and studying what we had been learning. We shared our findings with the local community and government. Hearing their feedback and questions made me realize how we made a difference in the short 3 months we were there.

Q: What difficulties have you encountered in your day-to-day life abroad? What strategies have you developed to overcome them?

TH: The only real difficulties come from cultural differences. Sometimes we don't know how they expect women to act. I've found that the best way to handle these situations is to ask. A majority of our staff was Kenyan so they were willing to help us if we did the same for them.

Q: What one aspect of life in your country of study would you most like to bring back to the United States? Why?

TH: Everyone is so happy and friendly! Who wouldn't want that to follow them wherever they are?!

Q: What was the best and the worst of the local cuisine you have had so far?

TH: The local delicacy is goat, which I avoided. My favorite Kenyan food was a flatbread called chapatti. Since we lived on a single campus we had someone cook for us, which was amazing.

Q: What one place have you been in your country that others must see?

TH: All the national parks and reserves are a must see. Also I had the privilege to wake up every morning to Mt. Kilimanjaro since we were so close to the Tanzania border. That alone was a breathtaking sight.

Q: How have you been received by the local population?

TH: Everyone is very friendly and very welcoming. When we were doing research we had to go onto people's property to collect data points and just about everyone welcomed us with open arms.

Q: What do you miss most about life back on campus?

TH: I definitely missed having certain facilities while I was gone. We basically had our rooms, one main building that served as a classroom and dining area and two sets of bathrooms. F&M although is not large seems very spread out compared to my life last semester.

Q: Be honest, how much time do you spend a week instant messaging?

TH: None! We didn't have the Internet too often, emailing was even spotty!

Q: Have you played or have you seen any field hockey played over there? If so, what differences do you see in the local approach to the game?

TH: I haven't played at all. Field hockey is mostly played at boarding schools in Nairobi we didn't have much of that in the rural part of the country. Everyone was crazy about soccer instead.

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