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Whitman students who participated in the 2022 Cultural Immersion in Kenya had the opportunity to connect classroom lessons to a real-life global environment.
Fourteen Whitman School of Management students eager to experience the global economy, connect with international partners and learn about African traditions and culture were part of the school’s 2022 Kenya Cultural Immersion. The pilot immersion trip allowed students to connect lessons from the classroom and apply their knowledge in a real-life global environment. The travel team was able to explore how to be a global manager and a better global citizen.
Before the dive
In the spring 2021 semester, Assistant Professor of Teaching Elizabeth Wimmer G’06 shared her experiences traveling to South Sudan and Africa, where she consulted and taught at a rural elementary school. Wimmer noted that the topic led to one of the most interactive and dynamic weeks she has managed in the international composition department. Through her stories and photographs, students were able to make connections from what they learn in the classroom to what course concepts look like in unfamiliar parts of the world.
“I thought to myself, if there is that much energy in classroom discussion, if I can find a way to put it on African soil there will be even more energy, excitement and extension of learning,” Wimmer says.
A few months later, she was able to do so. The trip was approved in February 2021 and the expedition team hit the ground in Nairobi, Kenya in May 2022.
All students in the Wimmer class are given the opportunity to apply for the Kenyan Cultural Immersion Experience at the beginning of the 2022 spring semester. To be selected as a member of the travel team, students had to apply and complete an interview process.
Once selected, the travel team prepares for the trip with a one-credit class at the Whitman School. Wimmer had three main goals for this course: cultural learning, team bonding, and logistical preparation.
“Professor Wimmer prepared a class where we learned a lot about what to expect when we get to Kenya. We talked about how to dress appropriately, what kind of food to try and proper greetings,” says Jared Dowling ’24. “We also learned a lot about cultural norms in class.”
On Kenyan soil
Dowling wanted to go to Kenya because he was interested in building international connections and immersing himself in another culture. “Going out is one thing, but going out with a purpose is completely different. I wanted to make a real difference with the partners and the people we met on this trip,” he says.
Dowling and his team were able to do this while on the ground in Kenya. The week-long trip has a packed schedule starting at 6 am and ending around 10 pm. There was no rest, Wimmer emphasized. Every day was a work day, packed with opportunities to help partner organizations, the community and local refugees.
Much of the students’ time in Africa consisted of meeting three international partners: Zaynah Khanbhai, founder of Merging Moundos and Women of the South, a non-profit organization focused on connecting the voices and experiences of the Global South. Stasia Hiramin, creative communications coordinator for Tirza Bazaar, an international non-profit organization that works with artist refugees to sell handmade goods; and the Child Discovery Center, a shelter and education center for orphaned and abandoned children in Nakuru, Kenya.
Connecting with these international partners allowed the students to see how business works differently in another country, especially one with limited economic opportunities, educational opportunities, and limited infrastructure.
During a business panel moderated by Kanbhai, students were given the opportunity to brainstorm and share ideas on bridging the gap between the Global North and the Global South relative to their generation. Through their discussions, students learned more about the importance of entrepreneurship as women shared their stories of businesses created to support themselves and their families. In addition, the tour group was able to meet local artisans and see the workshops where the items are created for Tirzah Bazaar. From this visit, the student was inspired by many entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations of artisans. Overall, the travel team found that the skill sets of these non-profit workers were highly valuable for learning and using their skills as an entrepreneurial opportunity.
However, it was not all work. When not working, the group was able to see some of the tourist attractions in Kenya – going on a safari drive, watching and participating in traditional drumming and dancing, tea tasting and visiting a giraffe centre.
Back to America
The Whitman School’s offering of such an international opportunity gives students a chance to see what it’s like to manage businesses in different cultures. Students can use their education and experience in these opportunities to become global managers and make a difference in the world.
“What we learn in our classes at Whitman is great and important, but you can’t learn as much from a textbook as you can from experience,” says Isabella Simon 24. “I think going on this trip to Kenya, being prepared to understand other ways of life, and then having a visible perspective allowed the world to become part of us.”
Story by Anna Rooney, a junior studying marketing management and finance at the Whitman School
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