• Alek C. •
• MSID Program in Senegal •
• Agricultural Engineering Major

Alek went to Senegal for a year with the MSID program. While there, he interned with a water resource management organization, which gave him a new cultural perspective on his studies in agricultural engineering and a foundation for his anticipated career in international development.

Academic and Career Impact
The MSID program is divided into coursework and internship segments. For the first part of the program, Alek took courses on international development theory. He felt that the coursework gave him a broader context for his 8-month internship. “It was helpful for me to reflect on what I want to do as someone interested in working in international development. What are some of the more effective ways to do that? What are some criticisms of international development in general? It got me thinking about things like that,” he said. Upon his return to the US, he found that he had a renewed interest in the study of engineering, and cultural insights on his field from Senegalese teachers and coworkers.

At his internship with SAED, an organization that manages irrigation and drainage systems along the Senegal River, Alek worked with Senegalese farmers and engineers on various water management projects. He went into the program knowing that he wants to eventually work for an international development organization. His experience was “a huge motivator for me, to say ‘yes, this is what I want to do, and I can do it.’” Now that Alek has graduated from the University of Minnesota, he plans to go on for his master’s degree in civil engineering, and then to find work with an international development organization that manages water resources. “The MSID program was a unique opportunity among study abroad programs, where I could go to a developing country, learn about international development, and also learn about the culture.”

Cultural Learning through Language Study and Homestay
For Alek, the language courses in French and Wolof, and the homestay were very important parts of MSID. “Learning Wolof offered tremendous opportunities to meet people, it was a great way to make friends,” he said.

With his host family, Alek had an opportunity to practice the languages he was learning and also to be immersed in Senegalese culture. “I feel that the family I lived with in Senegal invited me into their family wholeheartedly, and I joined their family wholeheartedly...That was where I learned most about the culture.” Alek feels that study abroad helps students to “understand where people are coming from, and how different people act, what their different values are, what their different tastes and cultures are. That just brings all people a little closer to you, because you can understand where people are coming from."