Derek Jackson, Zeta Beta/Adrian 2014, saw Study Abroad as an opportunity to live and study outside of his comfort zone. As someone who is comfortable at the beach and in large cities, Jackson chose the Andes Mountains area of Peru as his Study Abroad destination.
Jackson also chose to live with a host family during his study abroad. His host mother, Adriana, a divorcee with a daughter, Daniela, lived in a modern, four-bedroom, two-bath loft on the fifth floor of a condominium in Cusco.
"My host family situation was great,” said Jackson. I have a mom and a sister in my normal household, so there wasn't anything different about that. Not having a male figure in the house was interesting in that I was hoping to experience multiple points of view as to what ‘being a citizen of Cusco’ looked like,” he continued.
“I had meals with the family often (breakfast and dinner). On days that I had school, my host mother would pack me a sandwich, a piece of fruit, and I would take a bottle of water –a typical lunch for most Peruvians,” said Jackson. “I volunteered to do the chores,” he said. “I wanted to give back as much as I could, so I set the table, bought groceries, and ran errands. It's customary for the host families to do the rest -- I even offered to wash the dishes but my mother insisted on relaxing after dinner,” he added.
“My host family is Catholic,” said Jackson, “and while I'm not a Catholic, I attended mass on Sundays as often as our busy schedules allowed. I was able to listen to the sermon and sang along with the choir in Spanish,” he said. “My mother even let me make the advent wreath. The wreath receives a blessing on the first Sunday of December and then a candle is lit each Sunday after that until Christmas,” he continued.
Jackson found that his classroom experience was very similar to what he was used to in the U.S.
“I studied a variety of Spanish subjects such as Spanish Language, South American Literature, Art/Design/Architecture of Cusco, and photography, said Jackson. “The school technology was similar to ours (use of wifi, projectors, white boards, computer labs, etc.) I was surprised to find all of these accommodations as Cusco is a developing city,” he continued. We also had online modules that were supplemental materials to the classroom discussion and learning,” Jackson added.
Jackson found that life outside of the classroom was very different from life in the U.S.
“Life in Cusco is very different. It's a tourism-driven economy,” said Jackson. They rely on visitors (presumably there to see the ancient Incan ruins) to fuel the economy. The pace of the day is much slower as in people are more casual with their schedules. Class may start at 10 a.m. one day and then the next it will start at 10:20 a.m. and that's OK! It was a hard adjustment, but I welcomed the change,” he said.
While there, Jackson had a chance to do a little traveling.
“I did travel to Arequipa (Peru’s second largest city) and went white water rafting,” said Jackson. “For two weeks, I spent some time in Valparaiso and Viñadel Mar, Chile. This was a great experience,” he continued. “I spent some time on the beach, visiting Pablo Neruda's house, and exploring the flora and fauna hiking La Campana (Charles Darwin hiked this mountain).”
When asked if he had eaten any unusual foods, Jackson began to laugh.
“YES! I ate guinea pig,” he said. “I always say, try everything once, talk about it a million times! But, that's a traditional Peruvian dish,” he added.
As for the highlights of his stay, Jackson had this to say…
“Highlights would have to include the hospitality of the people. They are genuine and understanding of foreign students,” he said. “I also volunteered at an orphanage/hospital for physically handicapped children for a few months while there. “That was a positive experience. If given the opportunity to ‘extend the helping hand’ abroad, DO IT! It has changed my life for the better,” he added.
Would Jackson recommend Study Abroad to his fellow Theta Chi Brothers?
“I haven't stopped preaching about it since day one,” said Jackson. “I'm well aware of the negative stigma attached to South America, and I am saddened that these do still exist. People who don't experience things for themselves often make lofty assumptions out of fear and ignorance. And it's these people that ruin and slander the name of a beautiful region of this world,” he continued. “South America has a huge part in changing me into the man that I am today. I was challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally. Despite popular belief, I was even challenged educationally and intellectually. They really are on the upswing of a traumatized past, and I look forward to their continued success in all fields (education, economy, agriculture, etc.) and will continue to support a thriving community,” said Jackson.