Then on to Johannesburg and tours of Gold Reef City, Soweto, Witbank, Middelburg, and Robbers Pass. From there out into the countryside to Crystal Springs, Pilgrim s Rest, Blyde River Canyon, Bourke s Luck Potholes, God s Window, and Graskop. On then to Kruger National Park for several days of big game watching and safaris, including standing only feet away from unfenced elephants, rhinos, and lions. Seven students took the plunge and went bungi-jumping off a bridge at Victoria Falls. Over a fifth of Wofford students study abroad for academic credit each year, ranking it in the top ten colleges in the nation each year.
Study abroad is an important part of their education.
Most of them not only have not been outside the United States, but many have not even been outside the southeastern states. An anonymous donor paid for the trip for two African-American students, and their presence lent the study trip perspectives and poignancies it would not otherwise have had. One of these students, Ben Foster, a football player and pre-med major from Kennesaw, GA, was elected president of the Wofford student body soon after returning. I nearly start crying when I think about how lucky I really am. True Africans see us as Americans, not as long lost brothers seeking a joyous return to their birthplace.