Wes Dean
I have white water rafted on the Nile, interviewed high ranking government officials in Sierra Leone, and visited rural African villages. I’ve had a life-changing journey…
I have white water rafted on the Nile, climbed the Roman ruins, walked the streets of ancient cities along the Dalmatian Coast, interviewed high ranking government officials in Sierra Leone and explored how the Rwandan genocide unraveled. I have had a truly life-changing journey that equipped me with skills to better live in a global world.
When students head off to college, they generally view it as a chance to escape from home and enjoy a new level of independence. I knew that by attending Houghton, I’d have many opportunities to study abroad and live among people of other cultures.
My first trip abroad was through the East Meets West Honors Program. For the three weeks of the trip, we spent our time visiting the places in the Balkans we had read about and studied in class. We climbed on ancient Roman ruins, swam in the calm Mediterranean, walked the streets of ancient cities along the Dalmatian Coast, climbed gorgeous mountains, visited numerous ancient churches and saw memorials to the atrocities that were committed during the Balkan Wars of the mid 90s. It was an incredible three week period that I will never forget.
In January 2009, I set off for Uganda with 19 students from Houghton and other colleges. We learned about African culture, had the chance to visit rural African homes and walk the streets of the vibrant city of Kampala. We went white water rafting on the Nile and saw giraffes, zebras and baboons in a game park in Rwanda. During our semester we also learned about the darker side of human nature as we explored how the Rwandan genocide unraveled. I was able to go on a physical and mental journey with fellow students who shared many of my same spiritual beliefs. Together we had discussions that helped shape my understanding of God. The semester was truly a life-changing journey that equipped me with skills to better live in a global world.
After my semester in East Africa, I went directly to Sierra Leone, West Africa. There I spent three weeks studying first-hand how the central government was carrying out the decentralization process. We conducted more than 70 interviews with government officials who ranged from being in high positions all the way down to village headmen from small, rural villages. At the end, our team compiled an 80-page analysis of our findings. Besides the many memorable moments I experienced in Sierra Leone, I came away with a practical understanding of how governments function in developing countries and the role that governance plays in development.
