Kirkwood students part of U.S.-supported study exchange program
On a chilly February night, Sam Groenenboom heard about an interesting idea: Leave his home state of Iowa and travel to Brazil for a semester of study abroad. He had five days to decide, complete an application and re-order his educational plans for the coming year.
The opportunity came up on a Thursday at the annual Ag Business Club banquet at Kirkwood Community College. The first-year ag student had to have his mind made up and application completed in short order.
Groenenboom, an Oskaloosa native, admits now that he wasn’t exactly a globetrotter growing up.
“Last year when I heard about this, I had never left the Midwest, let alone the country. People told me about it on that Thursday night and my completed application had to be done on Monday. I really didn’t have time to think about it,” he said.
Groeneboom’s speedy application was accepted, and soon he was one of four Iowa students headed across the Equator for six months of intensive study in agriculture, economics and Portugese language in South America’s largest and most financially active nation.
The program that took the Iowa students southward is supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), a project of the U.S. Department of Education. Kirkwood joined with Hawkeye Community College and the University of Northern Iowa to make the semester of international study possible for both Iowa-based students and an exchange group from Brazil.
On the South American side, Universidade de Brasilia and Universidade Federal de Goias provided coursework, language training and student support in Brazil. The five schools have a shared purpose in expanding international education opportunities for students and faculty. In addition to classroom work, company practicum experiences were a focus both in Brazil and Iowa.
Sam Groenenboom went to high school at Pella Christian before coming to Kirkwood. He grew up in a large family outside Oskaloosa and learned about Kirkwood’s Ag Science programs from his older brother.
“I’m one of 11 kids in the family and we’ve worked on the farm all our lives. I had often thought about going to another country just to visit, so when I heard about this program I thought it was a good way to achieve a dream of mine,” he said.
Groenenboom reckons that his pre-travel ideas of Brazil and South America were “a perfect stereotype” of Americans’ knowledge—or lack of it—about that part of the world.
“Before last year, I thought that all South American people spoke Spanish, there was a lot of pollution and the countries were way behind us in technology. After I got accepted, I started doing some research—and realized how wrong I was!”
Groenenboom jumped into an intensive session of studies even before he left Kirkwood. March and April 2010 meant a series of language sessions in Portugese, the official language of Brazil. Then came cultural orientations and other preparations for the trip.
Groenenboom’s studies began with his arrival in Goiaina at the Federal University of Goias. He knew immediately the experience was going to be a lot different than his southeastern Iowa home.
“The city of Goiaina itself is about two million people, and there are a lot of skyscrapers in the city itself. The terrain around that area is a lot hillier than I was used to back home, too. I took four classes while I was there—a Portugese language class and three ag classes,” he said.
During his half year in Brazil, Groenenboom got insights into global agribusiness firsthand—thanks to a very familiar name.
“One of the most interesting times for me was a week-long practicum with the Pioneer company. Pioneer Hi-Bred has a big operation around Goiaina. I had a really good time, and I have to say that whole experience was an eye-opener for me,” he added.
Kirkwood Ag Sciences Dean Scott Ermer has also traveled to Brazil as part of the FIPSE partnership. He saluted Groenenboom and the other students for taking the initiative and opportunity to see a “major player” in the world agriculture economy.”
“For future employment in the ag industry, students need to have a better understanding of our global economy. It’s hard to think of a better, more diverse set of situations that impact U.S. farm business than Brazil. This chance for our Iowa students to study and work in the heart of that country’s growing regions. These trips can only strengthen their understanding of other major nations and partners in a global economy,” Ermer said.
The FIPSE Brazil international project is well-supported, according to Kirkwood Study Abroad Advisor Ken Nesbett. “Kirkwood has made a big commitment to help our students get involved with study in other countries. We are usually able to offer students $1,000 toward their Study Abroad travels. With the Brazil program, the FIPSE grant provides additional living stipends and other support to make the student experiences possible. The level of support, organizations and broad range of experiences are what make this program a premier opportunity for students,” Nesbett said.
Groenenboom readily agrees with that observation. “Thanks to the scholarships, I didn’t have to spend any money of my own during the trip,” he added.
Freshly back from his time in Brazil, Sam Groenenboom thinks there could be more travel abroad in his future. “I think I am motivated to travel more now, since I’ve had this experience,” he added.
For the near future, though, Groenenboom has his sights set on an in-state goal: a four-year degree in agronomy from Iowa State after graduating from Kirkwood.
More information on the FIPSE Brazil student exchange project and other Kirkwood Study Abroad programs is available by contacting Ken Nesbett in the International Programs office: 319-398-5540; or via e-mail: ken.nesbett@kirkwood.edu