Beyond the Hill: FAMU Students Expand Their World Through Study Abroad in Cape Town
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — For Florida A&M University journalism student Ariana Santana, traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, meant more than boarding a plane and visiting another country. It marked her first international trip and an opportunity to experience a world she had previously only imagined.
Santana, a rising sophomore journalism student from Tampa, Florida, was among a group of FAMU students who spent approximately two weeks in Cape Town as part of a faculty-led study abroad experience designed to extend learning beyond the classroom.
Florida A&M University student Ariana Santana visits Table Mountain, one of the New
7 Wonders of Nature, during a study abroad experience in Cape Town, South Africa.
(Photo courtesy of Ariana Santana)
A first-generation college student, Santana said the opportunity carried special significance.
“Going to South Africa was just mind-boggling, especially it being my first time and
being able to study abroad,” Santana said. “It was very unique to me as a first-generation
student as well, being able to experience all of these different academic adventures
as someone who hadn't had anyone in my family do this previously.”
Florida A&M University students explore Cape Town, South Africa, during a study abroad
experience that combined cultural immersion, global learning and firsthand exposure
to the country’s rich history. (Photo courtesy of Ariana Santana)
The experience was led by School of Business and Industry faculty member Kenyatta Rosier, Ph.D., who intentionally designed the program to expose students to business, entrepreneurship, culture, social innovation and community development through a global lens.
Taking Learning Beyond the Classroom
The Cape Town experience grew from a study abroad proposal Rosier developed through IES Abroad. After initially pursuing another international program, Rosier submitted a second proposal focused on Cape Town and it earned support.
Florida A&M University students and faculty gather during their study abroad experience
in Cape Town, South Africa, where students expanded their learning beyond the classroom
through cultural immersion and global engagement. (Photo courtesy of Ariana Santana)From there, Rosier focused on encouraging students to travel internationally, finding
ways to make the opportunity more accessible and creating an experience that would
have an impact beyond the trip itself.
“How can I make it affordable?” Rosier recalled asking as she developed the program. “And how can I make one of the most transformative experiences ever?”
The final group brought together students from multiple academic disciplines and class
levels, creating opportunities for them to learn not only from the communities they
encountered but also from one another.
Rosier said the intentional curriculum design allowed students to examine differences and similarities between the United States and South Africa while exploring formal and informal business structures, entrepreneurship, social innovation, food culture and environmental sustainability.
Instead of recreating a traditional Tallahassee classroom thousands of miles away, Rosier incorporated experiential assignments throughout the program.
She developed a “living and learning passport,” which encouraged students to document their expectations and reflect on what they experienced each day.
FAMU students showcase their creativity while participating in a hands-on cultural
experience during their study abroad journey in Cape Town, South Africa. The activity
offered students another opportunity to engage with South African culture through
art, design and shared experiences. (Photo courtesy of Ariana Santana)
Students were also introduced to the philosophy of Ubuntu, often expressed as “I am because you are,” emphasizing interconnectedness and responsibility to community. Rosier incorporated the concept into an “Ubuntu Studio,” where students were encouraged to process their experiences, challenge assumptions and connect classroom knowledge to what they were seeing firsthand.
Learning Through Community
Throughout Cape Town, students engaged with community organizations and initiatives that exposed them to issues surrounding entrepreneurship, youth development, education and economic opportunity.
Among the experiences was a visit to the Sozo Foundation, where students learned about programs serving young people through education, skills development and community-centered initiatives.
For rising sophomore accounting student Orville Jackson, the experience prompted him to think differently about the opportunities available to him and the realities faced by others.
The lessons extended beyond business.
Orville Jackson takes in the breathtaking views from Table Mountain during a study abroad experience in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo courtesy of Orville Jackson)
Students were challenged to listen to the people within the communities they visited and consider how history, culture and access to resources shape individual experiences.
Jackson said students considering study abroad should approach the opportunity with
open minds.
“Come with an open mind,” he said, adding that firsthand conversations can provide a deeper understanding of life outside of one's own country and the challenges communities face.
Orville Jackson pauses to take in the scenic landscape of Cape Town, South Africa,
during a study abroad experience that brought exploration and global learning to life
beyond the classroom. (Photo courtesy of Orville Jackson)
For Santana, those conversations were particularly meaningful as a journalism
student.
“What stood out to me the most was just being able to experience different cultures, experience how people live,” Santana said. “I think us living in the United States, sometimes we become very — we think everything that happens here is what happens all over the world, when really it's not at all.”
She said speaking with community members and hearing from people whose experiences may be underrepresented in media also helped shape how she thinks about her future career as a storyteller.
A Bigger Vision
Beyond the academic lessons, Rosier said she saw changes in the students themselves.
“I discovered that the students, they could be so confident. They could be so independent,” Rosier said. “They were able to be so culturally aware about everything and they just had a bigger vision for themselves. And now they have a bigger vision for their career.”
FAMU students take in the breathtaking views from Table Mountain during their study
abroad journey in Cape Town, South Africa. The experience offered students an opportunity
to explore one of the region’s most iconic landmarks while creating memories abroad.
(Photo courtesy of Ariana Santana)
For Santana, the experience also expanded her understanding of where a FAMU education can lead.
She said meeting people abroad and seeing international professional opportunities
reinforced that students do not have to limit their career aspirations to familiar
destinations in Florida or major U.S. cities.
“We're international, we can go international and we deserve to be in those spaces,” Santana said.
That perspective reflects what Rosier wanted students to take away from Cape Town: Global experiences should be about more than visiting another country. Students should build relationships, expand their thinking and determine how the lessons they learn abroad can create an impact when they return home.
For Jackson, Cape Town has already sparked interest in seeing more of the world. Since returning, he said he has considered additional study abroad opportunities, including a program in Ghana and another potential experience in Japan.
FAMU students step into South Africa’s rich history during a visit to the historic
Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town. The cultural excursion gave students an opportunity
to connect lessons from the classroom with the people, places and history of South
Africa. (Photo courtesy of Ariana Santana)
For Rosier, the impact is visible in students who returned to FAMU more confident, independent and culturally aware — with a greater understanding of the possibilities ahead of them.
The students returned from Cape Town with more than photographs and memories. They came home with new perspectives, relationships and a broader understanding of their place in an increasingly global world.
And for Santana, the experience reinforced a message that extends far beyond Cape Town: FAMU students belong in those global spaces, too.
Media Contact:
Ashley Flete
Senior Communications Specialist
ashley1.flete@famu.edu
