While most of my colleagues and students were devouring turkey and dressing for the Thanksgiving holiday, I was killing multiple birds (figuratively speaking) with one stone in the land of the condor, that treasured, colorful and fascinating Andean nation: Ecuador. The “multiple birds” were projects that aligned themselves ever so smoothly during my brief five-day sojourn to the South American nation. These projects centered on a handful of delightful ambitions, two of which are at the heart of this report: (1) having a personal face-to-face sit down with two OU students, Carrie Bushman ’16 and Jackson Lilly ’17, who are currently studying abroad in Ecuador, and (2) having a campus visit and meeting with officials at OU鈥檚 Ecuadorian partner institution, the (USFQ), the only liberal arts university in South America.
Within less than eight hours of my arrival in , I was standing at the front-gate entrance of the University of San Francisco of Quito waiting for the arrival of Carrie and Jackson. We had agreed to meet at 4 p.m. the afternoon of my day of arrival in Ecuador. I was eager to see if a semester living and operating in a Latin American country had had any impact on my students鈥� American punctuality. Apparently, it had not. Both Carrie and Jackson arrived at 4 p.m. on the dot, and I was thrilled to see the two of them, totally acclimated to student life in Ecuador.
It is a special feeling for a Spanish professor having had the pleasure of students鈥� presence in the classroom, and then, a short time later, to see those same students functioning on their own and with great skill in a Spanish-speaking country a full continent away from home. It鈥檚 not that Carrie and Jackson were not great students of Spanish back at OU. Indeed they were superb. But there was something additionally gratifying about seeing how well adjusted, how integrated they had become in Ecuador over the course of a few short months. We hugged and chit-chatted outside of the entrance of the school along with Jackson鈥檚 host mother, a wonderful, lively and friendly woman from Colombia, who happened to be paying a visit to campus. (By the way, Jackson, swears that his host mother is the best score for any student seeking a host family experience while in Quito鈥攖hough I was invited to come see for myself and taste the host mom鈥檚 fusion of Ecuadorian and Colombian cuisine, my ambitious itinerary, unfortunately, wouldn鈥檛 make such a visit possible. Those famous Colombian empanadas would have to wait until my next visit鈥�).
Saying our goodbyes to Jackson鈥檚 host mom, the three of us headed over to the swanky and ultramodern mall right across the street, the beautiful , owned, in fact, by the University of San Francisco of Quito. While making our way to our chosen dinner spot, one of Quito鈥檚 ubiquitous seafood restaurant chains, Los Cebiches de la Rumi帽ahui, Jackson and Carrie informed me of something extraordinary: the USFQ uses the mall as an onsite practicum locale for student projects in business, arts, crafts, and cuisine. On any given day, one sees kiosks and stands elegantly situated on the Paseo promenades, where students are selling their wares or explaining their business platforms to shoppers and mall passersby, not simply for a grade in the classroom, but more importantly, for real-life experience in the business and marketing world.
Seated at the restaurant, we continued our conversation about student life and living in Ecuador. For dinner, Jackson and I both had a small bowl of ceviche de camar贸n (a tangy chilled, lime-pickled shrimp soup), while Carrie opted for a delicious serving of breaded shrimp. We jumped right into discussing academic life at the University. Jackson, an /, and Carrie, a communications & rhetoric studies major/Spanish minor (who I am proud to add, landed a job offer in Ecuador with , a popular South American television broadcast company!), reported that the academic programs at the USFQ are wonderful and the school鈥檚 approach to classroom and experiential learning would be very familiar to any Oglethorpe student opting for a study abroad experience there. That鈥檚 because the USFQ, like OU, is a liberal arts university, but is the only of its kind in the South American continent.
Founded in 1988, it is a relatively 鈥測oung鈥� university. But it makes up for youth with a classic-feel dynamism and energy that keeps students like Jackson and Carrie engaged, challenged, and continually dedicated to the pursuit of academic reflection and inquiry, which was the clear objective of the USFQ founders. I was surprised to learn that the current president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, was once on the USFQ faculty. He taught economic theory before making his bold move in Ecuadorian presidential politics. While small in physical size (it鈥檚 hard to believe that nearly 6000 students attend), the USFQ is one of Ecuador鈥檚 most prestigious institutions. It has a beautiful campus situated in the suburban valley area called Cumbay谩 (the name gets a chuckle from any American visiting the area), with gardens, tiled patios, statues and plaques dedicated to ancient philosophers, multiple restaurants and pastry shops serving the greater community, recreation facilities, and even an Asian pagoda where students study yoga and other eastern philosophies.
In terms of life outside of the USFQ classroom, I beamed to hear that Carrie and Jackson have made the most of their stay in Ecuador by leaving the capital whenever possible to experience other parts of the country during their weekends and holiday free time. I am a firm believer that a study abroad experience is incomplete without experiencing the wider 鈥渃lassroom鈥� that is the host country itself.
Between the two of them, Carrie and Jackson have covered a great deal of ground with visits to the quaint town of Ba帽os, to various cities and villages in the coastal region, and even an unforgettable trek made by Carrie to the , which pertain, by the way, to Ecuador. I was informed that the USFQ has a in the Gal谩pagos Islands located on the beautiful . This extension campus makes it easier for USFQ students (including exchange students) to experience the Gal谩pagos Islands (for short visits or long-term study), some 600 miles off Ecuador鈥檚 coast in the Pacific Ocean. While Ecuador is a relatively safe country, Carrie and Jackson stressed the importance of being prudent and using good 鈥渢ravel sense鈥� when out and about, especially in big cities like Quito. Like most large, heavily populated urban areas, petty crime does exist in Quito, so learning the rules about safe travel routes, which taxis to take and which to avoid, and being extra careful about using one鈥檚 cellphone or other electronic devices openly on the streets, is essential to maximizing the chances of an international study experience free of inconveniences or negative incidents.
Before we knew it, Jackson, Carrie, and I had spent well over an hour in conversation, and Carrie needed to make some purchases at the Caracol shopping center near the Avenida de los Shyris, far on the other side of town toward the heart of Quito. Jackson offered to accompany Carrie, and since my hotel was in that direction, we all decided to take public transportation together back in town. I was proud to observe how expertly the two had learned to navigate Quito鈥檚 complex public transportation system, which often requires multiple transfers between buses, metros and trolleys in order to arrive at a particular destination. When we reached Los Shyris, we exited the bus, and it was time to go our separate ways. Dusk approached and a light rain started to fall (dusk descends reliably between 6-6:30 p.m. when you鈥檙e on the equator). I wished Jackson and Carrie a safe and enjoyable rest of their stay in Ecuador.
I had traveled all the way from Atlanta to Quito to observe a most remarkable symbiosis, one that Oglethorpe鈥檚 study abroad program in Ecuador facilitated: OU鈥檚 spirit gracing the Andean space, and that Andean space shaping and subtly enhancing OU鈥檚 spirit. Well worth missing the turkey dinner this year, I thought, and smiled walking away in the cold mist and fast-approaching Ecuadorian darkness.
