International students absorb Bay Area culture

By Molly McGonigle

It might be easy to forget, but the international students studying at Santa Clara have something in common with those Santa Clara students who have also ventured into the world of studying abroad.

They have taken the risk of moving to a foreign country, learning a new language and experiencing a new culture.

Javier Iribarnegaray and Ainhoa Errasti are both 22 years old and from Spain.

They describe their study abroad experience in the United States in much the same way that Santa Clara students describe their time spent abroad.

Errasti said that she made her decision to study abroad at Santa Clara because of the destination.

"It's California. We can go to many places from our university, but I wanted to study in English and I had been to the United States. And the weather is really nice in California," said Errasti.

After almost five months in California, Iribarnegaray and Errasti agree that their time at Santa Clara has been very positive.

While interactions with American students have been limited, they both say that being involved with Santa Clara's International Club has made the transition into American culture much easier.

As a group they are able to undertake the challenges of adapting to life in a new country.

As students living in a foreign country, it is not surprising that traveling stands very high on their to-do list.

Through the International Club, Iribarnegaray and Errasti have gone on group trips to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.

On their own, they have traveled to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and have driven down Highway 1, stopping to enjoy the beach towns along the way.

Out of all of the places he has visited, Iribarnegaray laughed and said his favorite was Las Vegas -- for a weekend.

"It's really fun, but very fake, so only a little time is necessary," he said.

Before they return to the real world in Spain, Iribarnegaray and Errasti plan on seeing Chicago, the Grand Canyon, New York City and Washington, D.C.

But for Kenyan student David Wahome, traveling was not a main priority, though he was lucky enough to travel throughout the south and attend football games with an ESPN College Bowl.

He said that the best part of his education here has been the innovation.

"When I return to Africa, I can hopefully foster innovation into the school and government systems," said Wahome.

He said he believes that the freedom he has had in his academic pursuits at Santa Clara will better prepare him to help improve the quality of living in Africa.

In the future, Wahome hopes to become a philanthropist and work to promote health care, women's rights and education to further African society.

The best part about the experience, he said, was meeting a lot of people that he otherwise would not have had the chance to meet.

"I got to see the real America, people with real problems, with real hopes and dreams," he said.

Everything that Wahome has participated in while living in the United States serves a higher purpose that will allow him to make a difference in his homeland of Kenya, he said.

From the other side of the world is Francis Jang, a student from Belize who is studying computer science at Santa Clara.

Much like Wahome, Jang hopes that his Jesuit education will help him when he returns home after graduation.

Jang noted that many of the students who leave to study outside Belize never return, a trend very commonly referred to as the "brain drain."

However, he hopes to return to Belize and put to use all he has learned at Santa Clara "to see the best for the country."

Jang said that the International Club has done a good job of highlighting aspects of American society which are unfamiliar to those from foreign cultures.

Even so, Francis misses the freedom of Belize, being able to "walk anywhere in two minutes or do my favorite hobbies, swimming and fishing."

Contact Molly McGonigle at mmcgonigle@scu.edu.