June 23, 2005
Student Ambassador to Experience Different Culture in Spain As Part of Corpus
Christi’s Sister City Initiative
DMC student Roxanne Bower to study abroad in Toledo to expand language skills
and get taste of different culture
Not many students get to study abroad in another country to expand their language
skills and understanding of another culture. But an experience of a lifetime
will begin in early July for one Del Mar College student–Roxanne Bower,
a communications and Spanish language major.
The Sister City Steering Committee, an official program of the City of Corpus
Christi, selected Bower to serve as a student ambassador for the city and participate
in the Spanish Language Program at the Universidad de Castilla—La Mancha
in Toledo, Spain.
“This is a lifetime opportunity to visit Spain not as a tourist but to
engage in a learning experience as a student,” says Bower. “I’m
looking forward to my interaction with the Spanish people and to take advantage
of the challenges posed by a different culture.”
Carla Chapa, a DMC instructor of Spanish and faculty member who encouraged Bower
to apply for the Sister City scholarship, says “At times, you get a student
who takes Spanish classes because they love the language and not because it
is a requirement on their degree plan. Roxanne is such a student. I am very
proud of her accomplishment and excited that the city has given her the opportunity
to study abroad in Spain.”
The program covers students’ tuition and fees. Students provide for their
own transportation abroad. Bower’s studies begin July 4 at the university
in Toledo.
Chris Kallas, who is the Heritage Park Curator of the City’s Cultural Services
Center, says that the program provides a “fun way” to experiment everyday
life in a different country. “Our program also serves as a way to maintain
relationships and communication with other countries,” she says.
Goals of the Sister City Program involve both public and private sectors in
furthering cultural development and global understanding among countries. Corpus
Christi is a member of Sister Cities International, a program established in
1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The City has cultivated affiliations
with six cities: Agen, France; Toledo, Spain; Yokosuka, Japan; Keelung, Taiwan;
Veracruz, Mexico and Monterrey, Mexico.
“The program provides young people the opportunity to visit, understand
and appreciate the art and languages different from the United States and South
Texas,” adds Kallas.
Of her impending visit to Spain, Bower notes, “I’m very serious and
eager to practice my Spanish and expand my knowledge of that country.”
-DMC-rlr