Namaluba Malawo

2018 Gilman Scholar

Hometown

Exton, PA

Major

Mathematics Education

College

College of Science

 

"Growing up, I would see students on television and online, excitedly sharing their stories of study abroad. They gained academic credits, but they also developed as people and created life-long memories. This was the catalyst for my interest in studying abroad. However, while growing up it seemed I would never have an opportunity to study abroad due to obstacles out of my control. Now, in just 28 days, a “Maymester” study abroad program provides me with the essentials of the college experience of studying abroad.

 

"As a future educator, I will be surrounded by students of many different backgrounds. It is important that I respect their differences and provide them with the best education I can. In order to do that, I must not only be aware of their differences but also be able to adapt to their diverse perspectives. I will strengthen those skills by studying abroad in Tanzania with a Gilman Scholarship. As I live in the new community, I will learn to adapt so that I can learn not only the curriculum but also the culture. More than anything, I want to improve my ability to respect others, adapt to new contexts, and empathize with those who are unlike me. These are important skills to have as an educator in the United States.

 

"This study abroad program is an educational Maymester in Tanzania. The program lasts roughly 28 days in Tanzania. We will live at Fish Eagle Point for the duration of the program. Fish Eagle Point is in Tanga, Tanzania, and looks out to the Indian Ocean. The main component of the program is teaching; I will spend 14 of my 28 days teaching math at Zingibari secondary school in Tanga, Tanzania. The remaining 14 days will be spent interacting with the community of the Boma Village, working on a service project related to education, and on a three-day safari in the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater. A typical day on this trip consists of working in the local schools for eight hours, learning Swahili for an hour, and then the history and culture of Tanzania for another hour.

 

"As an education major, this study abroad program attracted me most with the teaching component. The experience I will gain is incomparable to other educational studies abroad programs. Not only will I be teaching for two weeks, but I will also be teaching students who do not speak English. This will challenge me as a teacher, and as a person, but I am excited for the growth that will come from it."