Alumni Abroad

THE ARTS IN ITALY

Megan Rojales (Class of ’19, NWS)

After graduating from WCC, I had the privilege of furthering my studies in the Arts and Performing Arts. I am currently undertaking a double degree in the Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics and English Language) and the Bachelor of Music (Voice) at Monash University. I recently had the opportunity to study one of my Arts units abroad in Prato, Italy. I spent three weeks in this lovely city and learnt a lot about the Italian language, culture and society and how different it is from Australia.

Despite some initial culture shock, I enjoyed every moment of my time overseas. Although the idea of travelling alone to a foreign country was quite daunting at first, I enjoyed immersing myself in different cultures and speaking foreign languages, truly admiring the wonderful work of our Creator.

At the conclusion of my summer studies, I did further solo travel exploring other parts of Italy (including Florence and Verona), Paris and London for a few more weeks before returning home to Melbourne. I visited famous landmarks and beautiful churches, and it was delightful to see various Christmas markets in each city! 

I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to travel overseas. This experience not only contributed to my tertiary studies but also helped me discover a newfound love for travel and an appreciation for different cultures. 

I am excited to travel more in future, and I hope to return to Europe soon.

SOCIAL ISSUES IN NEPAL

(Tessa Amatya, Class of 18', WS College Captain)

I am in my final year of a Bachelor of Law (Honours)/ Global Studies and as part of my studies, I went to Nepal. My family is originally Nepalese, so it was an honour to go back home and work to assist some of the most vulnerable people in the world. I was in Nepal for 6 months and completed work at a law firm, Save the Children, climbed the Himalayas, connected with churches, and fully immersed myself in the Nepalese culture. 

I got to work on many different projects and experienced many different things but one thing I enjoyed the most was writing a thesis on understanding gender inequality in Nepal. I spent hours understanding why gender inequality exists so extensively in Nepal. I knew before my internship that Nepal had gender inequality issues; however, I did not know how deeply rooted this issue was. It consumed the daily lives of women. Living in Nepal was so difficult because of this. Women were valued less than cows and I could see and feel the gender issues in everyday life.

In my research, I got to travel to Kathmandu and also rural areas of Nepal to interview teachers, students, principals, and different organisations that work to combat gender inequality. These conversations were so insightful but broke my heart. I learnt about the Sati system, an old practice where the wife of a deceased man would be burnt alongside their husband because they had no more purpose to be on earth. I spoke to teachers and principals who shared stories about students as young as 15 leaving school to get married. I also learnt about Chhaupadi, a practise where women on their periods would exchange their beds to stay in a cowshed. I spoke to female students who explained that because they were unclean, they could not stay in the house. For them, it was a normal part of their life and for me it just made me want to cry and question how this could be happening in the 21st century. 

I was able to compile all my research into my thesis and presented my data and recommendations to key stakeholders. I created modules and trained teachers and students in the areas of gender inequality, women empowerment, and children’s rights. Gender inequality is a multi-complex issue and tackling it may take over two hundred years in Nepal. However, hope is possible. The data clearly showed that in the last 50 years, attitudes had drastically changed and if we educate the younger generation, gender equality can be achieved. I had wonderful conversations with male and female students who critically reflected on why Nepal had these issues and what they can do to change the problem. 

It was such an honour to use my studies to serve the people of Nepal and work in God's kingdom. This experience challenged me and helped me to see that after finishing my degree and receiving my practicing certificate, I would love to come back and continue to work in Nepal.