Tanzania: Ecology & Human Origins testimonials
Tanzania is like vanilla ice cream and caramel fudge topped with some sprinkles. Once you have it, you can’t have enough of it. Tanzania is a beautiful country full of adventures with very welcoming people. The program is designed so that the students can explore the wonders of Tanzania. We visited multiple national parks, climbed Kopjes, drank Konyagi, and tasted the spices of Zanzibar. A unique part of the program is that it involves an independent research project areas such as ecology or anthropology, providing students with the opportunity to study Tanzania more in-depth. Studying there, I fell in love with the country and the people. I hope I can go back soon!
—Tim Lee, Tanzania, Fall 2009
Studying abroad with the ACM Tanzania program gave me the opportunity to step away from book study and experience some of the things I had been learning about. Visiting the Serengeti, Olduvai Gorge, and Lake Eyasi gave me a whole new perspective on what the world has to offer. Whether I was learning about different ethnic groups, hiking in biodiversity hotspots, or watching the sun set on the wild landscape, Tanzania lent itself to my imagination. My experience has given me insight into potential career paths, a topic for my senior thesis, and helped me to recognize some of the things I’m passionate about. Tanzania is an incredible place, and I hope to return there someday soon!
—Sean Keenan, Tanzania, Fall 2009
For me, studying and researching abroad on the ACM Tanzania program provided a realistic frame of reference for learning about the way that public health studies and interventions are carried out. And no matter what it is you’re doing, the most important thing is to understand the message my history teacher had been repeating in the course of my six months abroad: how we think often determines what we think. Studying abroad is all about the how. Since returning from the program, I’ve surrendered to my fond memories of the place that taught me so much, and I’ve channeled them toward my work. My grades are better-my schoolwork is fortified by a command of knowing how to research and analyze. My focus is sharper- I may not know exactly where I will be working in the future, but I know what my passions are, what I stand for, and the causes for which I will be working.
—Danae Roumis, Tanzania, Fall 2006
Being abroad taught me so many things about other people (my host family, my professors, and my new friends) as well as myself. I learned how to make friends easily and get myself from one place to the next with only the help I could offer myself. Friendships made in Tanzania were fast and strong despite whatever cultural differences we may have had. The ACM Tanzania program was perfect for me because I was able to gain credit for my biology major, while pursuing other passions as well. I studied new subjects, such as anthropology and human evolution, and Swahili (which I never before knew could be such a fun experience). The language aspect of the program was really wonderful because Swahili is a beautiful language and knowing it helped me to connect more with local people. I came into the country with wide-open expectations and that got me a long way. Without having any preconceptions I was able to become an entirely new person in Tanzania. I learned the meaning of confidence and patience and friendliness. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about Tanzania and my experiences there with affection and I would love so much to be able to go back one day.
—Julia Varnergardner, Tanzania, Fall 2009
After two years of college study, I was eager for a change of pace and hungry for adventure — both were waiting for me Tanzania. The country offered endless opportunities for exploration and discovery and I found Tanzanians themselves to be among the most genuine people I have met anywhere. That Tanzania is home to an exciting mixture of the modern and the ancient was perpetually evident to me in its vibrant culture, bustling cities, and wild landscapes. If provided the opportunity, I would return in an instant.
—Alex Nereson, Tanzania, Fall 2008
I choose to study abroad through the ACM Tanzania program because it was such a diverse program, where we lived in dorms, tents on a field site, and homestays. We also had the opportunity to conduct our own independent research project. While camping on the African savanna, I learned valuable lessons about my own interests and independent research in general. You can study anything from ecology to health studies. Tanzania is an amazing country, and if you want to visit east Africa and are at all interested in anthropology, language, or ecology, this program is amazing.
—Jessie Pechmann, Tanzania, Fall 2007
The ACM Tanzania program was my first opportunity to travel outside of the United States, and now I have a desire to see the rest of the world. It was my first opportunity to conduct undergraduate research, as well. After living, traveling, and studying in a biodiversity hotspot, I have decided to pursue a career in ecological research. Living in Tanzania opened my eyes to the connectivity and interdependence of each part of our environment. Not only is the baobob a beautiful and resilient species, but it also provides food and shelter to insects, birds, monkeys, elephants, and many other animals in the park. I saw trees buzzing with activity from beehives, covered in mud from elephants scratching their sides with the tree’s bark, bats and owls flying from them, and one that had a leopard den inside. It is these connections and my time that I spent in Tanzania that helped me decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.
—Kathleen Quigley, Tanzania, Fall 2007
Studying abroad on the ACM Tanzania program has without doubt been the most valuable experience I’ve had in college (if not my life). Living in dorms, the field, and home stays enabled me to experience multiple facets of life in Tanzania, all of which were different and interesting. The field stay was my favorite part of the program; my research project helped me realize that I want to pursue animal behavior in the future, and we got to do so many incredible things! As an anthropology major, I was happy to see sites like Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge, and getting to visit places such as Serengeti and Tarangire as a student researcher rather than a tourist was amazing.
—Linnea Karlen, Tanzania, Fall 2010
Entering Tanzania (and Africa) was entering the utter unknown. But by the end of our four months, there was nowhere else on the globe that taught me as much. Diving into a thrilling, exciting, new culture and becoming a part of a community unlike anything I had ever experienced was phenomenal. From teaching local woodcarvers English to riding dala-dalas through downtown Dar es Salaam to buying fresh fruit on the street, life in Tanzania was always wondrously spontaneous. We enhanced our responsibility skills and independence by navigating foreign areas with minimal Kiswahili while utilizing an open-minded mindset in all new circumstances. Tanzania is forever imprinted on my mind and heart.
—Maria Princen, Tanzania, Fall 2008
The ACM Tanzania program was unlike anything I have ever done in my life. Camping in the Serengeti, living and researching at Laetoli, visiting Olduvai Gorge, and traveling to Zanzibar and rainforests were experiences that will last a lifetime. My time in Tanzania and the effect it had on me is far-reaching; it really helped when applying for to graduate school and gave me an idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Staying with my host dad was something so unique and fun that I will never forget. The Tanzanian people are some of the most carefree, helpful, and enjoyable people I have ever met, and I do hope that I can go back some day!
—Matt Biwer, Tanzania, Fall 2007
Going on the study abroad program to Tanzania was one of the most important decisions I have ever made. Not a day goes by that I don't look back at my time in Tanzania and wish I could go back there again. I really discovered myself as a person and learned to observe everything in a new perspective. This will continue to be one of the most influential and wonderful experiences of my life. Ninapenda Tanzania!
—Cyndi Pinkus, Tanzania, Fall 2006
Studying abroad in Tanzania was by far the most rewarding experience of my life. Browsing the street markets in Dar es Salaam, snorkeling off the coast of Zanzibar, camping in the Serengeti, and researching the Maasai opened my eyes to a completely different culture and environment. I had originally chosen this program due to my interests in both Anthropology and Ecology, and I got so much more out of it than just academics. People I met on campus, in the host stay, and in the field will never be forgotten. This experience has helped me in deciding what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I would love to return to this amazing country sometime in the future!
—Stacey Hamilton, Tanzania, Fall 2010
The interesting thing about living in Tanzania for four months was that I didn't realize the true effect it had on me until I returned home. The opportunity to perform real ethnographic research in the field is truly unique, and I find myself applying my experience on an almost daily basis. I fell in love with Tanzania. The people, the culture, everything about it. I was so incredibly nervous to spend a semester abroad in such an unfamiliar environment, but it turned out to be the time of my life, and I'm already looking for ways to get back to the country that now feels like a second home.
—Kathleen Murphy-Geiss, Tanzania, Fall 2009