My study abroad in South Africa not only allowed me to grow as a student but also as a person. 

We started in Johannesburg where we were able to tour the city as well as learn about business operations through our visit to Bankserve Africa. 

While in Johannesburg we spent time in the Soweto Kiptown Youth Program (KYP) where we had the opportunity to spend time with the people living in the area. Seeing how happy people were even though they have so little is something so rarely seen in the United States. 

Fast forward a few days and we were in Tsitsikamma, which is where I enjoyed myself the most, but I am biased because I turned 20 years old while we were there. While in Tsitsikamma we went on a canopy tour where we learned about some of the different trees located in the area and we had a guided Segway tour through the town. 

Our last week in South Africa was spent in Cape Town. While there we learned about the aloe business through our lecture at the Aloe Ferox Factory, we visited Robertson and Caine where we were able to have a guided tour through one of their plants, and we went to Robben Island and learned more about the segregation and incarceration of Nelson Mandela. One of the best things that we did while in Cape Town was to take to a cable car up Table Mountain, which is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. 

Overall my program to South Africa was very impactful and it is one that I will never forget. After visiting I believe that it is a place that everyone should add to their bucket list.

Before this program, South Africa was not on my list of places to visit, but now that I have gone once, I know that I have to go back someday. 

Name: Marisa Towner
Status: Junior
Major: Supply Chain Management
Hometown: West Bloomfield, Michigan
Program: Doing Business in South Africa