Meet Katie and learn about her abroad experience!!
Name: Katie Cabral
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Washington D.C.
Majors: Journalism and International and Global Studies
Minors: Criminal Justice and Political Science
What made you chose to study abroad in Ghana?
I was very interested in the world in general and I had a hard time narrowing down where I wanted to go. I wanted to go somewhere more exotic and unusual for J-term. I wanted it to be somewhere I would not go without Elon’s help and somewhere I would not have the opportunity to go on my own. I had also always wanted to go to Africa sometime in my life.
What was the culture like in Ghana/How was it different from the U.S.?
Ghana is very diverse in areas, with developed and undeveloped cities and many different ethnic groups. When I got off the plane, the first thing that stood out to me was that there were women, children, and men with baskets on their heads knocking on cars. They had merchandise in the baskets, some with fruit and some with phone chargers trying to sell them. We landed in the capital so naturally it was more modernized, but as we left the capital we saw more areas that looked like stereotypical national geographic pics. There were dusty roads and underdeveloped towns with minimal architecture. There were people hanging out in the streets and driving was almost a free for all.
Also, even though the people in Ghana speak English, they have an accent and we have an accent in their eyes. I noticed this when we visited a tribe and had to sit down and have a conversation with them and they could not say the name Katie. We went by our Ghanaian name which is decided by what day of the week you were born and and if you are a male or female. Mine was mine Afi, so I went by that.
Would you recommend this trip to other students at Elon?
I would definitely recommend the Ghana program because it is a once in a lifetime experience. Elon’s program goes way back and is well developed with many connections there. The program gives you an overarching view on Africa and what life is like there. It is developed and safe in some places but it is still a third world country. The Elon program is a safe way to travel to Africa and see the realities while having once in a lifetime experiences.