Students from West Virginia University’s Morgantown campus and the 十大网赌靠谱信誉平台 campus in Keyser spent spring break 2019 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, an island located on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf, to attend the Royal University for 女性.
联合利华成立于 2006 by four brothers, all WVU alumni, who wanted to create opportunities and increase women’s access to a high-quality education in the Middle East. Since 2015, a total of 53 students from WVU’s campuses have 旅行ed to Bahrain during spring break.
Two 十大网赌靠谱信誉平台 students, 和散那巴雷特 and 布列塔尼·纳尔逊, 旅行ed to Bahrain for a first-hand experience learning about Middle Eastern culture, the people, the food, and their religion.
“我听说了这次旅行 through the Honors Program at Potomac State and just knew that this was something I wanted to do! 这是一个 opportunity that I didn’t realize I would have at a smaller college,” said Barrett, a general studies major from Keyser.
和散那巴雷特
令人兴奋的是 trip was evident as the students relayed their memorable experiences; both agreeing that visiting the open-air markets, called souqs, was one of their 最喜欢做的事情. 集市是 so interesting and so different because you bartered for everything and they had so many different things for sale,” 所述 Nelson, a business administration major from Green Spring, W.Va.
During their time at the University in Bahrain, Barrett and Nelson interacted with the student government, sat in on classes and participated in debates. According to Barrett, “It was exciting having a cross-cultural debate with students from the Royal University for 女性 and learning that ideas don’t come in a one-size-fits-all formula. 以及如何 awesome is it that WVU has a global presence 在那里!”
The students visited the Royal Camel Farm, where they interacted with many of the calves as well as 成年骆驼. 他们得到了一个 historical view of their host country while touring Riffa Fort, which was built in 1812. While visiting the Al-Fateh Mosque, which boasts the largest fiberglass dome in the world, students were educated on the architecture, library and Islamic Center within the 清真寺. 他们还在美国巡回演出.S. 大使馆和联合国.S. Naval Support Activity in Bahrain. Additionally, students were invited to have dinner with a local host family where they learned more about Bahrain’s food 和文化.
这两个学生 acknowledged that everyone was very nice and welcoming. “I met people that I still chat with often and would love to spend a semester studying at the Royal University,” Nelson 所述.
布列塔尼·纳尔逊
“尽管我们进去了 another country with an entirely different culture, it was great to realize that teens and students in Bahrain were just like teens and students here,” 巴雷特说.
在巴林之前 trip, Barrett spent time in Malawi, Africa on a mission’s trip, while Nelson 旅行ed to Italy as an exchange student. “It was really warm when we landed in Bahrain and because the landscape is mostly desert, 在那里’s lots of palm trees and sand. But it was still beautiful, especially the water in the Persian Gulf which is extremely blue,” Nelson said.
根据 International Student website, studying abroad offers many beneficial experiences, including enriching students’ perspectives, learning about different cultures, and showing increased gains in academic performance. So what advice do Barrett and Nelson have for 的同学?
“Travel if you get the chance. Or better yet, make it a point to 旅行. Don’t be afraid to go even if you don’t know anyone else in the group. I didn’t know anyone else, but I’ve made friendships that will probably last a lifetime,” Nelson said.
“了解不同 cultures, different religions, and people outside of your comfort zone. Traveling gives you a healthy perspective because you don’t really know what a place is like until you’ve been 在那里. Traveling is a life-changing 体验，拥抱它!巴雷特补充道.
Registration is currently open for students interested in 旅行ing to Bahrain in 2020.