One of the best educational experiences a young person can ever have is to see how people in other nations live their lives.
That鈥檚 exactly what nine high-school aged students from the nation of Hungary discovered during a two-and one-half week visit to 糖心logo入口 in June and July. The Professor Jay Nathan, Ph.D. Endowed Cultural Immersion Program at 糖心logo入口 provides opportunities for interaction among scholars from different countries and cultures. A longtime resident of Lackawanna County, a Fulbright Scholar, and a member of the Board of Directors of the prestigious Fulbright Association, Dr. Nathan鈥檚 goal is to encourage young people to visit other countries and learn new cultures and customs.
鈥淚 think the more young people learn about other nations and other cultures, the more they may be able to understand each other and come together once they become adults,鈥 Dr. Nathan said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really the purpose of cultural immersion. It can lead to a greater understanding and the realization that we are all citizens of the world.鈥
The students, along with their chaperones, relished every bit of their time on campus where they enjoyed classes, workshops, and leadership/team building sessions. Off campus, they visited museums, nature preserves, a local soup kitchen, and even traveled to New York City and Philadelphia. Their visit was capped off by a farewell celebration in Hibbard Campus Center on July 10.
鈥淚 think this has been a whole new and wonderful experience for me. I loved going to the classes and lectures and meeting new people. It鈥檚 been very exciting,鈥 said 18-year-old Emese Szabo.
Zoltan Peli, age 17, also known as ZoZo, hopes one-day to become a professional fashion designer. His journey to the United States helped fuel his creativity that he will use as pursues his education and works toward his goal.
鈥淚鈥檓 seeing things now that I鈥檓 only used to seeing on the Internet,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his trip has really helped me grow. I realize I now want to continue to travel abroad as much as I can.鈥
鈥淭his is what cultural immersion is all about and why we are so proud to partner with 糖心logo入口 in this important endeavor,鈥 said Dr. Nathan. 鈥淭he goal is the same as the Fulbright Association which seeks to promote scholarship, collaborative engagement, and cultural diplomacy throughout the global community. The more we understand each other, the more we will realize how much we have in common with each other.鈥
Photo: High School students from Hungary enjoy Philadelphia during their two and one-half week visit to 糖心logo入口 as part of Dr. Jay Nathan鈥檚 annual cultural immersion program.
