Â鶹´«Ã½

May 25, 2018
Life At Witt

Learning And Impacting Others In The World

Kim Estenson '19 Reflects On Her Semester In Lesotho

The summer of Kim Estenson's sophomore year, she studied in Lesotho in order to have a broader awareness of the world. Now that she has lived away from my own home for a month, she says she has a deeper understanding of the United States. She chose the trip because the idea of serving others abroad excited her, especially children. "However, I had not expected the work to be as rewarding and humbling as it was."

What was your favorite/most memorable experience?

My most memorable experience in Lesotho was being part of the opportunity my group had to meet King Letsie III. I have never had tea with royalty before, and it was neat to share our service experiences with him.

Do you have any examples of ‘culture shock’?

There wasn’t any heating or Wi-Fi in our first couple weeks there. It was definitely a shock to not communicate with my family for so long—but I think that it taught me to value face to face conversations more.

In what ways has this experience changed you?

I am beginning to understand what it means to be a global citizen by being part of this Â鶹´«Ã½ program. There is definitely a Â鶹´«Ã½ bubble that I feel connected to on campus, but there is also a Â鶹´«Ã½ international bubble where students are learning and impacting others all around the world.

Kim Estenson '19
Major: English & East Asian Studies
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

About Â鶹´«Ã½

Â鶹´«Ã½'s curriculum has centered on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual's capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination. We are dedicated to active, engaged learning in the core disciplines of the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education grounded in the liberal arts. Known for the quality of our faculty and their teaching, Â鶹´«Ã½ has more Ohio Professors of the Year than any four-year institution in the state. The university has also been recognized nationally for excellence in community service, sustainability, and intercollegiate athletics. Located among the beautiful rolling hills and hollows of Springfield, Ohio, Â鶹´«Ã½ offers more than 100 majors, minors and special programs, enviable student-faculty research opportunities, a unique student success center, service and study options close to home and abroad, a stellar athletics tradition, and successful career preparation.

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