Send me to Semester at Sea Spring 2013
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I am a fourth year medical student from South Africa, and I have been offered the amazing opportunity to attend Semester at Sea Spring 2013. Semester at Sea is a study-abroad program with accredited classes from the University of Virginia, USA. During the program, students circumnavigate the globe while taking accredited classes on the ship. When docking at various ports, they participate in hands-on learning and community interaction endeavors - and some tourism, too.
We'll be starting in San Diego early January, and then travel to Hawaii, Japan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Burma, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco and Spain.
This is a great opportunity for me to build on my education and my leadership skills. I have big dreams of being an active member not only of South African society, but of the global society. I believe that SAS will empower me to become such a global citizen.
As far as I know, I will be the only South African student attending, and one of very few who have attended since the inception of the program in 1963.
However, as a South African student I have to deal with an incredibly high exchange rate. I have managed to get $15,500 from the Institute of Shipboard Education in scholarships, but still require $8,000. It is too close to give up, but the amount, converted to Rands, remains unaffordable to me. It is more than my tuition, board, food and textbooks for an entire year.
I have been approaching corporate sponsors for my tuition for the past three months, but with no luck (yet). Every little bit helps towards making this dream a reality!
P.S: My blog posts about SAS so far are at http://barefootmeds.wordpress.com/tag/semester-at-sea/ and when on the ship I will continue to post updates as well.
Organizer
Mariechen Megz Puchert
Organizer
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