Katie Crandle '03 and Julia Green '04, Editors

PORTfolio STUDENTS OUT

Semester Abroad in Mexico
By Melissa Cummings '02

After completing four semesters as a Spanish major at Virginia Wesleyan, I decided it was time to study abroad. Based on the different dialects of the Spanish language, I decided Puebla, Mexico was to be my destination. I spent one semester attending Madero University, which is a small private Methodist college, similar to VWC.

I took four classes this past semester, they included: Spanish, Ethics, History of Mexico, and a Writing course. All of the classes were obviously in Spanish and truly bettered my understanding of the language. However, many of the life lessons were learned outside of the classroom. I learned to manage myself in new and difficult situations, without much of a support system. For anyone that is planning on studying abroad in the future, be prepared for many new situations and remember to stay open minded about things. It is not for the weak stomached . . .you will be faced with many trying situations, you just have to remain calm and act using your logic.

Mexico is a wonderful place to travel around. There is something for everyone, from the beautiful beaches, to the ancient ruins, no matter what your taste, you will find something that interests you. I visited the beaches in Acapulco for approximately one week. It was a fantastic experience, just sitting on the warm beaches, drinking juice right out of a coconut with a straw! When I was not bumming around the beaches, I spent time digging around in underground passages built through the pyramids in Cholula, a small town right outside of Puebla. The ruins are open to the public (for a small fee of about 20 pesos or 2 US dollars) and are very informative. They clearly demonstrate many of the cultural trends imposed by the Spanish, when they first arrived in the new world.

Studying abroad in a third world nation opened my eyes to different ways of life that cannot be observed in the United States. It was an experience which is unparalleled in my life. I will have the memories forever and can use the strength I developed to assist me in future endeavors.

Commercial Break: All PORTfolio students will participate in an internship or study abroad experience during either their junior or senior year. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?

Externship at Indian River Middle School
By Mike Porter '04

On my externship to Indian River Middle School I was given the opportunity to observe a huge number of various classes and many different teachers, each with their very own unique teaching style. I also had the opportunity to take notes on parent-teacher conferences and staff meetings. I was able to interview the school's principal and help out in some classes. I am now totally convinced that I would like to teach.

Dolphin Trip
By Justin Sykes '03

A group of nine PORTfolio students stayed at the Dolphin Research Lab on Grassy Key in the Florida Keys for seven days for their J-term externships.

The group consisted of twelve students, and was represented by Debbie Hicks and Bob "Chappy" Chapman. The students went to the Dolphin Research Lab not only to learn about dolphins, but also to physically interact with them. And they ended up getting much more out of this trip than just information about dolphins.

"I got to see how they incorporated my major with dolphins," said sophomore Therapeutic Recreation major Melissa Agostino'03.

Agostino had the chance to witness first hand dolphin assisted therapy with a disabled person.

Other topics discussed at the DRC included dolphin maternity, acoustics, husbandry and physiology, medical and sea lion demon-strations, and conservation and coral reef seminars. Along with the coral reef seminar, the students were able to snorkel at a vast, live coral reef at Lou Key. Here, they saw hundreds of different kinds of coral, tropical fish, and even a few sharks.

"I loved the sharks," said sophomore Delayna Ishee '03, "that was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was amazing." The group also had the opportunity to visit the famous wild island of Key West on three different occasions. Despite being tired and experiencing three record cold nights, they ventured to the Southernmost Point of the Continental US.

"I liked the Sunset festival," said sophomore Eric Shenloogian '03 referring to the daily festival of local street performers. "It was very unique."

This trip will not be soon forgotten by anyone who visited the Dolphin Research Lab.

"I definitely would advise people to go on this trip," said Agostino, "not only was it a once in a lifetime experience, I learned new things throughout the trip."

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This is your newsletter, so we want your feedback. If you have any stories, story ideas, comments or questions, contact either

Dr. Hultgren (lhultgren@vwc.edu),
Katie Crandle '03 (kcrandle@vwc.edu), or
Julia Green '04 (jegreen@vwc.edu).