Alfred Okello - Kenya (Summer 2006)

Alfred Okello came to Purdue via an exchange program through an Indiana University/Purdue University-Indianapolis.  The following is a complete scenario of his experience.

Leaving Kenya for France

I am Kenyan by birth and I spent the first 19 years of my life there before heading to France for my college studies. Kenya is a former British colony, and therefore English is the official language, besides other local dialects. I decided to go further with my studies in a different language, French, after having learned it in high school, for fear of losing it. I am glad I made that decision.

Life in France

At the age of 19 there was still much I had to learn. Being away from my parents and siblings was a difficult choice to make. The good thing is that I had heard that there were a few Kenyans in France, with whom I started getting in touch before leaving my home country.
I went to Marseille, a town in the southern part of France. The weather here is almost similar to the one I was accustomed to, in the sense that it snowed rarely in winter. However, the cold mistral winds that blow from North Africa, are very harsh in the winter, but render a cooling effect in the summer.  
 I had the intention of studying medicine, but I changed my mind after failing the entrance exam to medical school in Marseille. Fortunately, I had another option: to be an engineer. I opted for materials engineering and have made it so far even though becoming an engineer in France is also almost impossible.

Contact with IUPUI thanks to the International Students Office

It is while in France, and at ESIL, Ecole Superieure d’Ingénieurs de Luminy, in Marseille, that I got the opportunity to come to the USA. Some of my professors had some contacts with some teachers in Indianapolis, with whom I got in touch with to finalize on the requirements for a possible exchange program at IUPUI.
Everything went on smoothly and I got my one-year visa to the USA.

Warm welcome at the Indianapolis Airport

Upon arrival, a designated student leader came to pick me up at the airport. I did not know him, but the International Office had given him the details of my itinerary before my arrival. The warm welcome and the friendliness towards new students became apparent from the very first day. This is typical of most universities in the USA. I don’t remember receiving such attention in France, and I don’t think international students going to a Kenyan university would receive such a welcome either.
From the airport, I was taken to the host family, with which I was going to stay for a month before getting a cheaper place.

Experience with host family

The Mayo family, composed of Jill Mayo, the mother, and Lauren Mayo, the daughter, welcomed me with open arms. This African-American family helped me understand the American culture. The lady was very helpful to me in providing transport every morning to college, since she was working on campus. She helped me get to know the city of Indianapolis.

There is one thing that was different in the USA compared to France or even Kenya: public transport. I noticed that almost everyone had a personal vehicle and the public transport in Indianapolis, like in many other areas in the U.S.A, was not as efficient as what I was used to before. So this was one challenge I had to overcome; I had to learn to adjust to the cultural differences.

Another thing that became apparent by leaving with an American family was the difference in the language. I questioned my level of English at one time, when I realized the difference in my diction compared to other Americans. I later discovered that there is a difference in the way certain words are pronounced and spelled depending on whether the language used is British English or American English. Some of the words that are different in the two languages, and that I discovered here in the USA, are adult, route, congruent, etc.

Experience with Chinese roommates

The university dormitories are too expensive in the USA. Given their sizes, I find the prices to be too high. Most international students resort to sharing apartments, which are less expensive and more spacious, in order to save money.

After one month of staying with the host family, I met two Chinese students at IUPUI, who were looking for roommates. We decided to move in an apartment near the university.

During the one year of staying with them, I got the opportunity of getting to understand another different culture – the Chinese culture. The Asian culture is similar to the African culture in that both cultures demonstrate collectivism, whereas individualism is demonstrated by North American countries.

Whatever culture I interacted with I always learned something new. I discovered that the only way to understand others better is by trying to see the world from their perspective. Remember all cultures have their own identity, and no single culture is right or wrong. We just need to understand why we are different.

Research work at IUPUI under Dr. Jones

In order to be able to study at IUPUI without having to pay the tuition fees, I had to be a research assistant and work in a lab. It was an opportunity to get to learn new research techniques and also to learn of possible research areas. Since I was working with an assistant professor who was setting up his lab, I got the chance to learn all the essentials of the research. I also learned that research can not only be unrelated to what one has studied before, but also that the courses we deem unnecessary come in handy.

Last but not least, the invaluable experience I got working as a lab assistant became very useful for the summer research internship at Purdue in West Lafayette.

Summer Research Program at Purdue, West Lafayette

I worked on a different research topic under the SURF 2006 program. It was a time to learn again. I had three months to perform experiments and arrive at conclusions. What I realized is that research needs perseverance and hard work. I was almost frustrated when I could not make much progress after several weeks of work. The good thing is that much of the work had already been done earlier by another student, but unfortunately, there were several errors I had to correct. I managed, however, to finish the work on time, and the hardships I faced just helped my professor and me to rediscover a new approach to solving the research problem.

Summary

I feel privileged to have gotten the opportunity to go away from home for my studies. Even though there were several obstacles to be hurdled – adapting to a different culture, living on a strict budget, learning a different language, just to name a few – I feel that I have matured in many ways than I would have in my home country. I advise my peers to go ahead and take advantage of the study abroad opportunities available in the local universities. I wasn’t sure of making it abroad, but I am glad I rose to the challenge. I have more than benefited in so doing. The learning of a different language and the adjustment and immersion to a different culture are real eye openers.

The best experience one can ever have is by learning from the world. The world is the best teacher, I would say. Long live the U.S.A.! Long live France! Long live Kenya! Long live the whole world!