Durban, South Africa
I graduated from Purdue with a dual degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering in 1997. While I was in school I was in the co-op program working for Intel, so by the time graduation rolled around I had a job at Intel and was also applying to graduate schools. I decided to put all that on hold and take some time to have an adventure.
I worked in Durban, South Africa for about 10 months in 1998. I worked as a lecturer for the Institute for Computer Education in South Africa (ICESA). I taught classes in basic computer applications such as Windows 95, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I also taught a basic Digital Electronics class, similar to the first logic class taught in EE at Purdue. Since the school was new and still expanding I took the opportunity to create a new class covering more advanced topics in Digital Electronics.
The position was challenging because I didn't have much experience being in front of the classroom. I now have much more respect for professors and teachers. I think the trip also really improved my communication skills - try explaining how a NAND gate works to someone who speaks Zulu. :-) Giving the lectures was great because I was refreshing my knowledge of classes I had not thought about in 3 years and at the same time I was able to take advantage of the college's resources to learn something new and took classes for Novell Netware certification.
The hours of work were long, and involved staying late 2 nights a week and working on Sat. for 4 months. However, the benefit of working for a college is the "school" schedule and I used this time off to travel more extensively to Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Tanzania. I was able to see Victoria Fall, the Serengeti Plains, and climb Mt. Kilamanjaro. I also had a chance to explore more of South Africa including Cape Town, Johannesburg, and some of the national parks. During the time I wasn't working, I got to explore some South African culture. I saw things like traditional Zulu dancing in the park, an Indian Hindu wedding, a Hare Krishna celebration, and more. I learned a lot about myself just from interacting with all the different people, and learned how to swear in 2 new languages, Zulu and Afrikaans. :-) I still keep in touch with my friends there and hope to visit them again soon.
The decision to go to South Africa was not easy to make. I did have another opportunity to work in Germany. When people hear that they ask - why did you go South Africa instead of Europe? Europe is tough to turn down, but I felt that I could always travel to Europe, it seemed easier to get to, easier to live in. I really didn't know what to expect from South Africa, but it appeared to me more challenging, more in the spirit of what the traineeship was about - to explore and understand different cultures. Looking back now, I know I made the right choice. Since I have come back from the traineeship I picked up my engineering career where I left it. I was accepted to Stanford University as a Master's Degree candidate in Electrical Engineering while I was in South Africa and was able to make arrangements to defer my admission until I got back. When I returned, I decided to get my Master's degree part time, so now I work full time for Intel Corp. in Santa Clara, CA, and take classes on the side. The traineeship did not limit my opportunities here in the U.S., and has given me new opportunities abroad. I still keep in touch with my friends there All of my co-workers tell me that they wished they had had an opportunity like AIESEC to take time off and explore before they started working full time. I consider myself lucky for being able to go and experience a foreign country and would encourage other people that have a similar opportunity to take it.
Jarett Dobbins, USA
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