There's more than one way to spend a summer vacation. While some grab flip-flops and suntan lotion and head for the waves, others burrow into their books to lighten their fall course loads. Some students, however, do both.
Junior Claudine Iliev, for example, continued to take courses over the break -- but she also traveled to the French Alps. Iliev participated in the Tufts in Talloires program as a MacJannet Scholar, and was able to take in the beautiful scenery as she studied.
"You start to enjoy the simple things in life," Iliev said. "You can spend the day by the lake, staring at the mountain with nothing but you and your thoughts."
Tufts in Talloires, which focuses on global understanding, was an ideal program for Iliev, an International Relations major. "Each class I took had various field trips where we met with people who worked in the international arena, whether it be through the Red Cross or the United Nations," she said. "As I'm an International Relations major, I found this to be extremely helpful because I could ask questions about my future career goals."
Though studying abroad can be an adjustment at first, Iliev soon found a home-away-from-home. During her stay in Talloires, Iliev grew attached to the people and customs of a different country. "I have to admit, the part of Talloires I had feared most became what I loved most: my welcoming French family," Iliev said. "By the end of my stay, although I was excited to see my own family, my host mother and I both shed a tear when I left."
In addition to a hospitable host family and a wealth of academic and cultural learning, her trip to Talloires allowed Iliev to bond with fellow students in activities and volunteering experiences. "Because only a small portion of the Tufts community goes to Talloires, we are able to have a bonding experience," she said.
Junior Barbara Magid did some traveling of her own this summer. Like Iliev, Magid's ventures were not purely recreational. "I knew I wanted to go to Latin America and do community service, and an acquaintance recommended a program in Costa Rica," Magid explained.
The program placed Magid with a family in Costa Rica for six weeks, during which she and a fellow volunteer from the United States met with local officials to develop new town projects. "It was exciting and different," Magid said. "The projects included painting, construction, working with children to develop artistic expression, and starting an exercise group."
After spending some time there, Magid began to feel she was making an impact on the people of the town in certain respects. "Painting and construction with the children had the most tangible success," she said. "I enjoyed working with children in artistic expression, because they often lack the encouragement to be creative in the classroom, and are told what to draw."
In addition, Magid was able to bring insight from a foreign country to the table. "It was much more of a cultural exchange; they were able to learn from the American perspective," she said.
Magid, like Iliev, gained knowledge about a different country from her Costa Rican hosts. To Magid, the best part of her trip blended both work and play: "the cultural immersion that comes with living with a [foreign] family, and learning Latin culture and dance."
For Magid, the hardest part of the volunteer experience in Costa Rica was getting there. "I ended up fund raising, which is a hassle," she said. "It was the worst part of the trip because it's difficult to 'extort' money from your friends and acquaintances."
Although summer allows students time to pursue diverse interests, academic and otherwise, many opportunities come with little pay, no pay, or even a cost. Iliev notes that, "had I not received financial assistance, I would not have had this mind-broadening and enlightening experience [in Talloires]."
Furthermore, Iliev encountered currency issues. "The exchange rate was a bit difficult to deal with," she added. "Most of us lost a lot of money going from dollar to euro."
In Friday's Daily, we look at students who pursued their interests in the States this summer.
