Lasting Impact of Overseas Study
I read with interest your recent article on the 50th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark College overseas study program. You might also like to know that this August marked the 40th anniversary of Lewis & Clark’s Year of Study in Munich program. I took part in the very first year of that program, which was the brainchild of Dr. George Sinclair. Dr. Sinclair directed the program for three years before he passed away. At that time, Professor Angela Jung took over the program and directed it for nearly 30 years.
As it turns out, that year changed my life in many, many ways. I went to Munich as a communication major and compiled enough credits to also qualify for a second BA in German. I went onto teach German at Corvallis High School for 31 years and at Forest Grove High School for an additional five years.
I can safely say my year in Munich was the most academically challenging year I ever spent. I read more books, wrote more papers, saw more plays and concerts, visited more museums, and traveled to more countries in that year than in the previous three years at Lewis & Clark combined. But I can also absolutely say that it was the most fun and most rewarding year of my life. I made lifelong friends (seven of us from that first year still live in Oregon and keep in touch regularly). I learned more about art and history than I ever thought possible. I traveled to 13 countries on 2 continents during the two-month interval between semesters. And I discovered that the Hirschgarten (a beer garden near Nymphen- burg Palace) was as good a classroom as any for improving my ability to speak German.
Ed Curtis BA ’73
Beaverton, Oregon
Got the Chronicle in the mail; loved the 50 years around the world article!
@feragaloid via Twitter
I went on the Malaysia trip in 1975–76, led by Sevin Hirschbein. I stayed in touch with my host family over the years and returned to Malaysia in 1985 for a six-week visit. By 1989, several members of the family had moved to the United States near me in the Chicago area while a couple of others had moved to Germany and Holland.
The mother of my host family, Radha, suggested I write to a woman in Malaysia she thought I should get in touch with. That woman, Mages, is now my wife. As you can see, the overseas study program changed the lives of others as well as me.
Stephen Hull BS ’77
Wauconda, Illinois
I enjoyed the article in the alumni magazine about the 50-year anniversary of the overseas study program. I went to Germany with Dr. Henry Baer in 1977. It was my senior year, and I was a poli sci/IA major. It was such a life-changing experience.
I haven’t stopped traveling. I teach international business at Seattle University, and I have traveled to 50 countries. I also lead groups through Habitat for Humanity to such places as Romania and Tajikistan. Thanks to L&C and that trip for my lifelong love for culture and travel.
Kylene Quinn BA ’77
Seattle
