ARAMFO Educational Foundation 2016 | Page 6

DR. VICTORIA SEITZ - CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY - IRELAND T he tour was fantastic. We had a great mix of business and cultural events that the students experienced. The presentation by the American Chamber of Commerce and US Embassy were great. Humanscale really rolled out the red carpet for us with refreshments, various presentations by the operations manager, logistics manager and the HR director in addition to the factory tour. The cultural tours of the Wicklow Mtns., Howth, Cliffs of Moher, and Northern Ireland (Giants Causeway) were outstanding. The guide contracted by MyIrishtours. com was outstanding and Dianna was an excellent fit with the students. She became much more of a friend than a guide and really gave 110 percent even when she was not obligated. The students really enjoyed the family dinner as they had the chance to see what life is like for the people in the country. I did supplement the experience with tickets to Riverdance, the production, and the Jameson Distillery tour in addition to the Pub Crawl and the Book of Kells. As a result of the experience, students were transformed and I believe that we accomplished what we set out to do. Many want to return to or to visit other overseas destinations in the future. It was a pleasure working with you. DR. KAREN S. BARTON - UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO - MOROCCO W hile the field course lasted for just two weeks, our large group managed to see an incredible amount of environmental geography and culture in this short amount of time. Traveling by bus allowed us long stretches upon which to reflect on all that we saw and experienced– from the markets of Marrakesh to the mosques of Casablanca. The people of Morocco were consistently warm and gregarious and impromptu walks to the medina allowed us ample opportunity to practice language skills and learn about unique local customs. Thanks to the academic conference scheduled at Hassan University, I’m now developing partnerships with Moroccan professors for future faculty exchanges. Faculty led field courses provide rare opportunities for students to coalesce– whether along dusty roadsides and rocky beaches, over a piping hot Berber lunch, in sparkling hotel lobbies, and on long, meandering walks through ancient ruins and raucous market centers. We start these trips in search of exotic North African landscapes but like any other sojourn abroad they conclude with enduring memories of great people. 6 I A R A M F O E D U C AT I O N A L F O U N DAT I O N I 2016 ERIKA DE LA CRUZ - CENTER FOR GLOBAL MANAGEMENT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO The Center for Global Management at CSUSB aims to develop programs in international business and public administration for the benefit of faculty, students, and the local international communities. The ARAMFO staff helps us to reach this goal by offering affordable study abroad programs. As 84% of CSUSB students are first generation college students, many have never been exposed to the idea of incorporating study abroad into their academic career. The affordability of these programs is an important factor to our students partaking in study abroad. This summer we have trips planned in Italy, Ireland, London, Spain, Kenya, Fiji, Thailand and Vietnam. As I work with students and faculty at CSUSB and other campuses, there are constantly changes and questions that arise. The ARAMFO team is very professional and quick to respond to any question or request we may have. Their dedication to study abroad reflects in their work. I’m very thankful to be working with the motivating and inspiring ARAMFO staff and I look forward to seeing the positive impact the trips will make on our students this summer. http://www.aramfo.org/