In This Issue:
Global Vision
June 24th, 2005
Steve West ’53 saw the world through new eyes last October as five students told him about their volunteer internship summer experiences in developing countries. Seniors Amenah Babar, Rachel Greenough, Benjamin Milgrom, and Katie O’Connell and junior Betsy Sylvester were the first students to receive funding from Carleton’s Initiative for Service Internships in International Development, established by Steve and his wife, Phyllis, with a $1 million gift in honor of the Class of 1953’s 50th reunion.
The internships were eye-opening for the students, says Greenough, who worked in an orphanage in a small village in Tanzania and participated in classes that taught about the country’s culture and language. “It’s a wonderful introduction to international service and a different culture,” she says. “I think everyone brought back a sense of accomplishment and gained more from the experience than they gave.”
The Wests envision that the internships will spark students’ interest in pursuing international service careers, and will encourage them to work with indigenous communities and organizations in strengthening public health initiatives and in achieving self-sufficiency.
“The Carleton Initiative intentionally does not include our names, to allow future donors to continue to expand funding for international service internships,” Steve says.