Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 7

WHEATON news

CAMPUS NEWS

Wheaton in Mexico
“Wheaton In”
study-abroad program took nine students
this spring to the bustling colonial city of
Querétaro, Mexico, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.Wheaton in Mexico is a
hybrid residential program that offers the
challenge of immersion with academic
and cultural support from on-site resident
director Tim Klingler ’93, assistant professor
of Spanish.
Prior to participating in the program,
students completed an orientation course
on intercultural competencies to prepare
them to navigate the unfamiliar. In

The first semester-long

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n

I

Slices of student
life in Mexico

Mexico, they attend classes in language,
literature, art, history, and U.S.-Mexico
relations, taught in Spanish by Mexican
professors at a local university. They also
commit to speaking only Spanish. Each
student lives with a host family for the
entire semester.
The program balances immersion
experiences and classroom study with
academic excursions to learn more about
the historical, cultural, and environmental
diversity of Mexico. A course taught
by Klingler helps students delve into
Mexican culture, manage the challenges

of living in an unfamiliar environment,
and reflect on their experiences and
learning in light of their faith.
Dean of Global and Experiential
Learning Dr. Laura Montgomery says
that remaining in one location for an
entire semester gives students more
time to develop a sense of place, build
stronger language skills, deepen cultural
learning, and become more integrated
into the local community and a Christian
congregation.
Upon their return to campus, students
may enroll in a course that addresses
issues of re-entry and helps them continue
building on their acquired skills and
knowledge.
PHOTOS: TIM AND LESLIE KLINGLER

(clockwise from
top left) Kelly
Katherine Howe '16,
Patrick Dunn '16;
Patrick Dunn '16,
Julia Griffin '15,
instructor Macías
Patty, Kelly
Katherine Howe '16;
Dr. Timothy
Klingler '93, Leah
Niemeyer '16,
Karly Bothman '17,
Angelina OmodtLópez '15, Julia
Griffin '15, Patrick
Dunn '16, Kelly
Katherine Howe '16
with the Klingler
children Melía (10),
Elena (10), and
Lucas (7);
Karly Bothman '17
with host mom María
Ester Esquivel

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