|
|||
| hope college > admissions > international students |
|
What Students Say Ntsiki Sisulu  Ntsiki
Sisulu '97, who comes to Hope from South Africa, appreciates Hope because
she enjoys learning about people and their differences. "It's totally different
here," she says. "It's a completely different culture."For example, Ntsiki found it strange that American students are anxious to come to college and live independently. "At home, people stay in their parents' homes way into their 30s," she says. The ability to gain that independence is an aspect of the American culture Ntsiki appreciates, however. "It's different from the situation with the South African government of apartheid, where black people were always oppressed by law until recently," she explains. "The whole idea of being independent and being able to make decisions for yourself is different." She has also found many differences among Hope students. "It's hard to put them into one category because there are so many different kinds of students," Ntsiki says. She has also found, however, some important similarities. "People are all very friendly and helpful," she says. "I felt very welcome." Ntsiki enjoys sharing her different experiences with other students. "Coming from another country, people have a lot of questions and are very interested in learning," she says. "People are open and willing to talk about things." Getting involved in campus activities is one way she has found to share her experiences with others. Ntsiki is the vice-president of Black Coalition, which focuses on teaching African-American history and current issues, she notes. "We have different speakers come in talk about various issues that face minority students on this campus," she says "We invite everyone to come, and most students in Black Coalition are not minority students." Ntsiki notes that she has also enjoyed being a member of the I.VE League, which is an organization for women recommended by faculty members as outstanding leaders. As a result of her love of learning and of helping people learn about ea other, she is majoring in psychology and education. She notes that it interesting to see how the psychological principles really apply. "Some things you knew but didn't understand why," she says. Ntsiki's goal is to incorporate the principles of psychology with her understanding of teaching in the classroom. Following Hope she intends to attend graduate school, and wishes ultimately to work in curriculum development, that she can help others learn the same sorts of lessons that she has found such a worthwhile part of her education.
|
|||