African and African American Studies Honors Student Blogs from Africa

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Margaret Gender in Africa

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Margaret Gender, a senior in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Honors College, is studying social pluralism, development and French language in Cameroon, Africa. She’s keeping a blog chronicling her experience to stay connected with her peers and engage students across campus.

The Cameroon program is coordinated through SIT Study Abroad, which focuses on strengthening intercultural understanding, exploring critical global issues and field-based study. The program complements Gender’s academic interests as she completes a bachelor of arts with a combined major in French and African and African American studies and minor in anthropology.

“Margaret is exactly the kind of high-achieving and engaged student that makes the African and African American studies program the fastest growing program in Fulbright College,” said Calvin White, Jr., program director and associate professor of history. “With four new jointly appointed faculty and twelve affiliated faculty members, we continue to attract amazing students who not only excel in the classroom but are heavily involved in the community and in extra-curricular activities on campus.”

Gender received multiple scholarships for her study abroad experience including an Honors College Study Abroad Grant, a Sturgis Study Abroad Grant from the Fulbright College Honors Program and an African and African American Studies Study Abroad Scholarship.

 “The African and African American studies program was very pleased to award Margaret a study abroad scholarship this year to help defray her travel and program costs in Cameroon,” said Jim Gigantino, assistant professor of history and chair of the program’s scholarship committee.  “Combined with support from the Honors College, we were happy to help her achieve her goal of studying in Africa.  When she returns, she will be an amazing asset for our students who will be preparing to study abroad this summer in Ghana.”

Gender is originally from Kirkwood, Mo., and boasts a record of extraordinary performance throughout her tenure at the University of Arkansas including being named to the Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List every semester.  Before she enrolled at the university, Gender studied in Belgium for a year through the Rotary’s International Youth Exchange Program and will continue her study of French through the School for International Training’s Social Development and Pluralism emersion program in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde.  The majority of her 16 hours of credit will be taught in French and she will complete three homestays with French speaking families followed by a four-week hands-on independent research project where her language skills will be put to the test.

The African and African American studies program expands on the core disciplines of a traditional liberal arts education. Through interdisciplinary study, students may explore the legacy of the African diaspora and African-descended people’s global experiences and the importance of race with a focus on Africa, the United States and the Caribbean. 

The program coordinates the “Ghana: From Kingdom, Slavery, Colonialism, Independence, and Modern Development” course every other summer though the university’s Office of Study Abroad. During their pre-departure studies and their three weeks in country, students discuss Ghana’s involvement in the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, colonialism, pan-Africanism and the modern world. The summer of 2014 will mark the program’s third trip to Ghana.