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Date
Contact:
Tom Davis
Troy Office of University Relations
334/670-3196
tomdavis@troy.edu
Office of University Relations
253 Adams Administration
Troy, AL 36082
(334) 670-3196
(334) 670-3274 (fax)
| TSU student wins scholarship to study in Ecuador, live on Amazon |
| Troy
State University student Heather Smith will soon pursue her studies
of photography and Spanish from an exotic location – the
Amazon River – thanks to a prestigious international studies
scholarship. Smith, a native and resident of Dothan, is a recipient of a 2002-03 Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship. The six-month scholarship, awarded by Rotary International, will allow her to live and study in the South American nation of Ecuador beginning in June 2003. Smith, a senior, will initially study Spanish and South American culture at the Academia de Espanol in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. She will receive one-on-one instruction and will study firsthand different aspects of Ecuadorian life, including government, religion and popular culture. She will then leave Ecuador to travel down the Amazon River and spend a month living with an indigenous tribe. Smith said the scholarship offers a unique opportunity to continue her studies – she is pursuing a double major in Spanish and journalism with a minor in art/photography – while seeing the world. “I want to be a photojournalist, to travel, meet new people and see new places,” she said. “Being able to spend six months in South America and the Amazon is a great way to do that.” The scholarship will also give Smith a chance to learn about another culture, she said. “The ideals of the Rotary program appeal to me – I can work to improve the quality of life in another country and maybe leave it a better place than when I found it,” she said. “And I think it will make me more aware of the similarities between all people.” Although she is excited about living in the Amazon and participating in the daily routine of a native people, Smith said one thought gives her pause: coping with the Amazon’s vast assortment of insects. “I have a problem with bugs – none in particular, just all of them – and I will have to deal with that,” she said. “But that’s my only concern.” Smith is a graduate of Rehobeth High School. She is the daughter of Ricky and Francis Smith of Dothan. |