UIS alum Kevin Parker of East Peoria, now a political studies graduate, traveled as a student to Jamaica last summer thanks to the Global Experience Scholarship fund, a source of funding that provides students help with travel and other expenses associated with traveling abroad for their studies.

The fund is relatively new and Kevin Parker was the first recipient. The three-week program, designed to promote a better understanding of Jamaican society through various community service opportunities, took Parker to live with a Rastafarian family in the town of Malvern. Parker is pictured here with his host family in Jamaica, the Holmeses.

Parker’s experience involved spending three days a week attending classes at different schools in the area, tutoring students in English, mathematics and computer skills. Twice a week Parker joined a Peace Corps volunteer at the Malvern Science Resource Center to help with hurricane recovery, moving books from threatening, water damaged rooms into dry places and constructing book shelves. He also helped local volunteers construct garbage cans to place throughout the community.

Parker said experiences like his are important in expanding the cultural scope of American students. “There are plenty of well-educated people that have very little practical experience. From an international perspective, the United States leads the world with our forward thinking and innovation. It’s important to extend our experiences outside of our own culture in an effort to see what is successful, what needs improvement, and an effective use of resources,” he said.

Parker adds that it was important to keep in mind that he was exchanging cultures and not trying to fix the educational problems in Jamaica. “As a student from another country, I share my experiences, beliefs, culture, language and the way in which I live my life. By engaging in community service and working directly with Jamaican citizens, I have gained an insightful appreciation for Jamaican society.”

But Parker and many students like him find that money is the biggest challenge in deciding whether to travel abroad. “There needs to be monetary assistance for more students to consider the study abroad option,” he said; funds like this one will provide this much-needed support.