“It helps to know where the students come from to be able to help them adjust to life at MSU.”
Amy Engblom, Student Advisor and Activity Coordinator at INTERLINK at Montana State University traveled from Bozeman, Montana to Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey in May 2016 and visited former A.C.E.(now INTERLINK) students and Turkish university professors.
Q: Amy, why did you travel to Turkey?
A: Well, I lived in Istanbul for many years and wanted to return and visit friends there. It had been four years since I had been to Turkey.
Q: So, did you also go to Turkey for work?
A: I thought that since I was already planning a vacation trip to Turkey that it would also be nice to see Gazi University where a lot of our Turkish students study in the Civil Engineering Dual Degree program with Montana State University. We also have some students from Istanbul Technical University in Bozeman so I thought it would be good to connect with them as well.
Q: How was your experience visiting the universities in Turkey?
A: It was so wonderful to see our former A.C.E. students at Gazi University in Ankara! One of the students even picked us up from the airport. We spent time talking about the Intesive English Program and they were surprised that I could speak Turkish. We discussed partnership and how to help prepare students to be successful. It was really good to be there and meet the professors. It helps to know where the students come from to be able to help them adjust to life at MSU.
Q: Did you go site-seeing?
A: Yes, a student took us to see the memorial tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara. It was an amazing place! We even go there in time to see the changing of the guard soldiers. In Istanbul, we had a nice evening with a teacher from ITU and took a drive along the Bosporus river.
Q: When do you plan to go back?
A: Well, I live and work in Bozeman, Montana now! It’s a long trip to Turkey, but I recommend it!! I’m glad I get to work at A.C.E. with students from many countries because it’s fun to share our different cultures and experiences.