Savannah Fusaro (Trinity ’18) is a Sociology major and Spanish minor on the pre-health track from Bloomfield, NJ. Her abroad experiences include Dental Health research in Honduras with Project H.E.A.L. and semester in Madrid, Spain.
How do you feel your race, gender, sexuality, class, or other part of your identity affected your experience abroad? How was your experience abroad different from or similar to your experience in the United States as it relates to these parts of your identity?
When I was in Honduras, race wasn’t as big of an issue because there was a large range of skin colors represented. Gender, on the other hand, was actually more of an issue. The small village I lived in was extremely patriarchal in the sense that women had certain expectations. They stayed in the house all day cooking and cleaning, whereas men had more of a dominant role in the society. Due male dominance, I personally experienced a lot of cat-calling and other uncomfortable situations of that nature. Those experiences made me extremely appreciative of the more progressive nature of the United States.
In Madrid however, I was shocked to find that the city had no diversity, especially after being surrounded by all different skin tones in Honduras. Madrid was a very white-European city, which I had not anticipated before my arrival. Therefore at times I felt like I did not have a community to lean on that completely understood me, especially as my Duke in Madrid group was predominantly white. Yet that did strengthen my comfort in dealing with things on my own, and allowed me to learn how to lean on myself during tough times.
What fears or apprehensions did you have to studying abroad? How did you overcome these? What advice would you give to someone who shares these apprehensions?
The main fears that I had before I went abroad mostly focused on the terrorism that has increased in Europe in the past couple of years. The U.S. Embassy even sent out an urgent message in November, notifying all U.S. citizens traveling/living in Europe during the holiday season to be cautious of terrorist attacks. This message encouraged U.S. citizens to stay away from large crowds and highly populated areas, especially Christmas markets, in order to avoid potential areas of danger.
Fortunately, I was very blessed to have returned to America safe, especially with the amount that I traveled around Europe. If you have similar fears of overseas travel, my main piece of advice is this: there is danger everywhere. Here in Durham, crime is occurring non-stop. I think it’s important to understand that although bad things are going to happen everywhere you go, you cannot let that stop you from traveling, exploring, and
living your life. What I will say is to stay cautious and aware. Do be fearless in your excursions and traveling, but remember to always be aware of your surroundings and use common sense/your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right, remove yourself from that situation, plain and simple!
Where did you live while you were abroad (host family’s home, university campus, etc.)? What challenges did you face in your relationship with your host family, dorm-mates, or other living partners and how did you work through these issues?
I stayed in a homestay while I was in Madrid and loved it. I feel that I truly experienced the culture of a Madrileña. I got to practice my Spanish constantly, having stimulating conversations all while understanding what it means to be a part of the Spanish culture. Though there were times when I didn’t feel like sitting down for an hour-long meal where I had to talk in Spanish after a long day, I have noticed my Spanish has improved immensely. If you really want to challenge yourself and experience the culture/language of your host country, I strongly recommend living in a homestay.
How do you feel you have grown as a result of your experience abroad? This “growth” can be personal, as well as via a professional lens.
I think the main things that I learned while abroad, was how good we all have it at Duke. Being a Duke student means that we have every single resource we need, all the food we want, classes within a 10-minute walk or less, printing with ease, Wi-Fi that barely goes out, and the list goes on and on. In Madrid I had an hour and fifteen minutes commute to go to just one class. I would take a bus, subway, train (and a taxi on my first day of class when I got lost), and the commute would last longer than the actual class time. Additionally, I had to go out of my way to the Duke center, which was a 15-minute bus ride from my homestay, whenever I wanted to print something. In Honduras, things were a lot worse than that. Wi-Fi was extremely limited, and even when it was available, the power went off in the village at least 3 times a week. For 6 weeks straight I would eat literally the same thing everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner: tortillas, rice, and beans. Furthermore, the bus traveling to different villages in the mountain was always late; sometimes I would wait 1 1/2 for the bus. And the list of difficulties goes on and on.
With that said, being abroad showed me how to roll with the punches. My personal growth had to do a lot with patience and appreciation for the resources and opportunities here at Duke. My experiences abroad truly humbled and showed me that a lot of the issues I was facing at Duke before, though they felt taxing at the time, were very much just “first world problems”. Now I feel that I can handle more of what life throws out at me, knowing it could be much worse.
Was your program’s coursework aligned with your major’s/minor’s/certificate’s course track? What do you feel are the advantages or disadvantages to taking some of your required courses via a study abroad program?
I am a Sociology major and Spanish minor on the pre-health track. I was previously pre-med, therefore I want to point out that even if you are pre-med, you CAN go abroad! You just have to plan it out right! Before I went abroad I simply had to double up my science classes for two semesters before my embarkment. Though it was difficult at times, I felt it was so worth it as my experience abroad was truly amazing. I recommend talking to your pre-health advisor, or a DAE to plan out your 4 years and ensure you get the pre-med classes you need (as you can’t take any pre-med classes while abroad). With Duke in Madrid, I took two Spanish courses and two Sociology courses (all in Spanish) that counted towards my Sociology major and Spanish minor. If you have a science major such as biology, that is not a problem, but I recommend reading up on which programs have biology classes that will count towards your major (the Duke in Costa Rica program is one). Advantages to taking your required courses via study abroad is that it’s a different country and different teaching style! Areas of study are diverse, and you can learn so much about things you didn’t even realize you didn’t know if you had just stayed at Duke.
If any of the questions above did not touch on something you would like to share, please feel free to share that now.
I cannot stress enough how much you learn and grow while abroad. The beautiful thing is that you don’t only learn so much about the culture you are in, but you learn so much about yourself in the process. Not all the growth and learning you do is in a comfortable way, but it is still important and necessary. It is an experience like no other in your life, and I would go back again, and again, and again.
Chronicles of the Black, Blue, and Borderless 