We're back

Dear all,

The Honors in Cape Town 2008 Program has come to a close but the impact of our time spent in South Africa has yet to be realized.

We arrived back in Connecticut at 3:20 pm on April 28. For me, and many of the students, the return trip was bitter sweet-- happy to see family and friends, while challenged to bid farewell to Cape Town and its people, the place we had come to call home.



The experience far exceeded any expectations I could have ever imagined:

*The students, each remarkable in his or her own unique way, have become a special part of my life and commitment to working for peace and justice wherever and however I can. In addition to their 3 day a week internships, and course work, each used some of their spare time working at another organization dedicated to bringing about positive social change.

*RAs Ben & Jeff were remarkable. Jeff did a great job of planning the March excursion and Ben’s willingness to fill-in as RA a month into the program and bring such energy, compassion, and insight to the program was greatly appreciated by everyone.

*Each supervisor, at every field placement, gave generously of their time and wisdom, enabling us all to learn lessons that could not have been gained without their dedication.

*Vincent Williams, who taught the History and Politics of South Africa, was amazing. Sitting in on his class helped me to realize how very much I still have to learn. We all benefited greatly from his knowledge and ability to condense huge amounts of information into manageable lessons.

* Cape Town coordinator Vernon Rose made the entire venture possible! Not only did Vernon work with a vast number of organizations to secure commitments to take interns, interview each student in order to find the most appropriate placement, and teach a class to help us all better understand non-profit organizations, he was also there to answer questions while providing support, understanding, and insight from the time we arrived until the day we departed.

The blog and pictures I have compiled do not begin to capture the profound experiences which will continue to influence each of us in ways yet to be discovered. I will continue to make entries to this blog and upload (and delete duplicate) pictures as time allows. You can view the pictures, which are grouped by events, at http://picasaweb.google.com/marita.mccomiskey

To all who have followed our adventures and/or contributed in any way to making this Study Abroad Program a reality, thank you!

In peace, with hope,