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January Term 2012- Costa Rica |
January term-or "J-term" is a time for discovery at Randolph-Macon College. This year, more than 90 percent of R-MC students (1,183) are participating in this unique month-long program. Students can immerse themselves in another culture and study abroad; work in their desired career field by doing an internship; delve into an exciting on-campus course or research assignment.
Nearly 100 students are traveling to eight countries. Randolph-Macon has supplied video cameras to many of the classes so that students and professors can chronicle their time abroad. Those video blogs will be available on
www.rmc.edu at the end of January.
J-term travel destinations for 2013 are: Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Tanzania, Hungary, China, Guatemala, Germany, Austria and New Zealand. Students typically spend two weeks on campus doing in-classroom research before the travel begins. Students traveling to Guatemala will not only learn about the culture but will participate in a service project. They will volunteer with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program to help improve the housing conditions of families in Guatemala’s villages. Students traveling to the other countries will study the evolutionary and cultural history of Tanzania’s Serengeti region; improve their Chinese-language ability ; explore the major sites of the Holocaust and Jewish Culture in Berlin and Vienna; and learn about the past, present and religion in Japan.
J-term not only offers global educational opportunities, but life-changing experiences. Eighty-eight students are participating in
internships and getting first-hand experience in their desired careers. Some of these unique opportunities would not be possible without the support of Randolph-Macon alumni who offer students one-of-a kind experiences. Hillary Jessee ’14 and Victoria Puryear ’13 are learning airport operations with United Airlines thanks to Cindy Szadokierski ’81; Fenton Crowther ’13 is copywriting at Circle S thanks to Susan Quinn ’80; John Smithers ’13 is learning the finer points of political lobbying with Whitehead Consulting, LLC thanks to Cal Whitehead III ’96; and Maggie Benson ’13 is shadowing physical therapist Matt Pulisic '87.
Other students are doing internships experiences at companies and non-profits such as Genworth, American Cancer Society, Town of Ashland, Hanover County, Hanover County Public Schools, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Richmond, Maymont Foundation, Scott & Stringfellow, and Dominion Partners, L.C.
Yellow Jackets are also delving into research or unique courses of study on campus. Courses include Observational Astronomy, in which students learn the use of astronomical coordinate systems in R-MC’s
Keeble Observatory; Medicine’s Greatest Discoveries; and laboratory and field research in
environmental studies,
biology and
chemistry.