For Peace Corps volunteer Sebrine Abdulkadir ’19, posted in the southern African country of Botswana, the upheaval happened fast. On a Monday morning in mid-March, she received an email saying she and other Peace Corps volunteers worldwide would be evacuated from their posts because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In three hours Abdulkadir packed what possessions […]
Jose Sainz
UMW Goes Global as Peace Corps Top Producer
Teenage boys can be a handful, no matter which country or culture they come from. Amal Hajjami learned that fact within her first few weeks of Peace Corps training in Morocco, when the 2019 alumna encountered a young man who refused to participate or follow the rules – when he even bothered to show up […]
UMW to Offer Japanese Language Courses
Spending a semester in Japan, UMW senior Kaitlin Viloria was in a shop when a young woman asked her a question. The woman spoke no English and Viloria’s Japanese was limited, but they still managed to strike up a conversation. Viloria wishes she was more proficient, she said, “but in that moment, I was proud […]
Lacrosse Player Scores Big With Study Abroad
For Bobby Leytham ’18, a single semester in Spain was a game-changer. Now a software consultant for a powerhouse company in Bilbao and a player on Spain’s national men’s lacrosse team, Leytham is living his dream, said UMW Professor of Spanish Jose Sainz. A bachelor’s degree in business administration and four years’ experience as a […]
French Study Abroad Sparks Joy in Alumnus
Stephen Lamm ’19 was a junior at Mary Washington when he studied abroad at the foot of the Alps. During those four months, he learned to speak fluent French and trekked across Europe. He also lost his grandfather – and found himself. As an openly gay student who led UMW’s College Republicans, Lamm spent his […]
