Lincoln University Students and Faculty Participate in Study Abroad Program in Colombia

During the spring break 2025 Colombia trip, LU students Nia Walker, Ezekiel Irons and Whitney Ankton enjoy a “campo lunch” of cheese, fried plantains, hot canela (brown sugar) drink, fried pork rinds and blood sausage.

Over spring break 2025, three Lincoln University undergraduate students and three faculty members traveled to Manizales, Colombia, to complete the experiential portion of PSC 496: Colombia Study Abroad at the Autonomous University of Manizales (UAM) course. This pilot faculty-led program combined academic coursework with applied learning experiences, providing students with opportunities to engage with Colombian society, government and culture.

LU students Whitney Ankton and Ezekiel Irons in Manizales, Columbia. 

Course Structure and Academic Credit
The program included pre-travel coursework, an immersive study abroad experience, and post-travel reflection. Before departing for Colombia, students attended weekly class sessions for eight weeks, where they studied Colombian history, politics and society through academic readings. Upon returning, the students are synthesizing their research with in-country observations through final papers.

Students earned three hours of academic credit for the course, which fulfilled different degree requirements:

• Political Science students (Nia Walker and Ezekiel Irons) applied the course toward their major requirements.
• Nursing student (Whitney Ankton), who is also pursuing a Spanish minor, applied the course toward the minor.
  
  Whitney Ankton speaks in Spanish with kids having lunch at a remote Nutrir site.

The faculty members leading the program were Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Brian Norris, Assistant Professor of History Dr. Racheal Pasierowska and Assistant Professor of Psychology Dwight Bailey.

Experiential Learning in Colombia
The in-country portion of the program provided students with direct engagement opportunities, including:

• Spanish language instruction – Students completed 17.5 hours of intensive Spanish classes with UAM instructors, incorporating interactive lessons that included assignments requiring them to communicate with native speakers in public spaces such as markets and the university campus.
• Interviews with leaders and experts – Participants conducted 12 informational interviews with a range of professionals, including government officials, nonprofit directors, journalists and university leaders. Interviewees included:
  • Carlos Sanint, president of UAM
  • Pablo Cuartas, Ph.D., political scientist, UAM
  • Catarin Estrada Cardona, executive director, Manizales Campus Universitario
  • Pablo Olarte, finance and planning expert, Manizales Town Hall
  • Vicky Salazar, director of the Peace and Competitiveness Program at UAM
  • Ruben Dario Gaona, journalist and podcaster
  • Community leaders in Supia (Guamal Afro-Colombian population) and Arauca (low-income settlement founded by displaced settlers)
• Community engagement and service learning – Students traveled to Supia and Arauca, where they met with community members to learn about local development efforts and social challenges. They also toured Fundación Nutrir, a nonprofit that provides school meals for low-income children.
• Academic exchange – Brian Norris, Ph.D., delivered a lecture to a UAM audience titled “Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Government in Colombia and Mozambique: Two Post-Conflict Societies,” based on his three-year Fulbright-funded research.

LU students studied 3 hours of Spanish a day, both in the classroom and on the streets. Here, Whitney Ankton responds in Spanish to a question asked by Professor Jorge.