Help Me Study Abroad in Morocco

Hello! My name is Lillian Rhyne. I am a Sophomore at the College of Wooster, and a French and Francophone Studies major, who is studying abroad in Morocco next semester (Spring 2023). However, I could greatly use financial assistance to help me afford the many costs of traveling and living in a different country in addition to normal tuition.

My family and I have struggled to pay my college tuition each semester. I personally don’t have much money to help pay for this coming spring, as nearly all money I’ve made working jobs has gone into paying past semesters’ tuition. As mentioned, I would highly appreciate any aid that could help support the costs of my education this next semester and to allow me to have this experience. In addition to tuition, your assistance will help pay for a plane ticket, living costs, emergency safety funds, international insurance, an international phone plan, a functional computer, and a field trip to Spain.

I am excited for the opportunity to deepen my French language skills and understanding of francophone culture. Although I’ve been taking French classes for the past seven years of my life, my studies have primarily focused on the culture and politics of mainland France. A main reason I’d like to study in Morocco is that I hope to expand my knowledge about the francophone world beyond France. I have limited knowledge of Moroccan society, but find it very intriguing. Especially as most of my knowledge of Morocco is related to immigration, I think it important to learn more about the country in the context of its own history and culture.

I’m also hoping to gain a better insight into human societies in general through my studies in Morocco. Over this past semester I’ve been taking classes that explore biopolitics, and how culture, religion, and nationalism are interconnected and not clearly defined. I’ve become increasingly interested in how societies are constructed, and ideas propagated, and I believe interacting with more societies would enhance my understanding of these phenomena. I’m especially interested in the way language intersects with culture and prejudice. I’m familiar with the fact that in France and the United States, the standardization of language leads to discrimination, and I’ve recently done research on how the usage of French by elites within Haiti has a significant impact on class dynamics. I’d like to explore this further alongside learning about the history and culture of Morocco. This particularly as Morocco is multilingual country with colonial influence in its language. I will also have the opportunity to learn some Arabic, which I am very excited for.