It has been interesting to see the different reactions from locals about United States students coming to South Africa to work. So far from what I have experienced and from what I have heard from others, everyone at our internship sites are very welcoming. My supervisor has said many times that despite my age, she believes she can learn as much from me as I can learn from her.

My experience has been a little different with people outside of my internship. It is astounding to me what assumptions people have about the United States. I have been asked countless times if everyone in the U.S. is rich. When I say no, people then go on to ask me if I am rich. Another assumption is that we are all patriots. One night when we were out at a bar, a man who was about my age asked us about this. He said that thinks that all Americans are radical patriots and would basically kill anything and anyone in order to protect our country. He made it clear that he does not agree with this patriotic way of thinking. He said he doesn't understand why people would want to go into the army and serve their country when people could die by doing so. We tried to explain to him that people join the armed forces for many different reasons and not everyone does it because they feel they need to "save and protect our country." Money, education, and tradition, along with other things, can also play a role. It was hard for him to see our view point on this.

People have also had the reaction that they feel it is condescending that "white Americans come to Africa to help." The man from the bar had a very strong opinion about this. He (along with others I have met) have asked me if the United States has any problems of their own. They then ask, if the United States has problems too, why are we not working in the U.S? I had many reasons for wanting to come to South Africa. The main reason was to learn. I want to learn about different cultures and different lifestyles, and while doing so, I hope to learn more about myself. I am very happy that I am able to help such a great organization while I am here, but I did not come here to "save" something. I think that by learning from others in a different environment than I am used to, I will then be able to better serve those I work with in the future, no matter where I am in the world. I was surprised that this guy was so judgmental because he was so young. I think it is very important to be open to diversity and there is always room to learn and grow by working with others. I have enjoyed talking with people like the man at the bar, despite our different perceptions. No matter what people may think, I am excited to continue this journey and continue learning!