Foundation Students Prepare to Study in Ithaca

Golkowska and McKee with Foundation students Amro Wafi, Mohammed
Haji, Hassan Al-Mana, Abdulrahman Al-Abdulmalek, Munera Al-Hitmi,
Maryem Al Manaa, and Dalal Hussain. Also traveling but not pictured
is Malaz Komi.

For students, living and studying abroad for the first time is a transformative and empowering experience. This is what awaits eight members of WCMC-Q’s 2009 Foundation class who will be traveling from Doha to Ithaca this month to take part in Cornell University’s Summer College.

Building on the skills developed during the Foundation year, the program is designed to further the students’ English proficiency and critical thinking skills, as well as provide opportunities for personal growth. In addition to participation in select courses at the Summer College, they will take part in a host of social and cultural extracurricular activities during their six-week stay in Ithaca.

“The intent is to provide the students with an opportunity to broaden their awareness and to give them a head start academically. It’s meant as preparation to help them succeed when they enter the Pre-medical Program next year,” said Gerard McKee, WCMC-Q student academic counselor.

“It helps them develop their identity as Cornell students,” added Krystyna Golkowska, PhD, senior lecturer in the Pre-medical Program. WCMC-Q students already interact regularly with the New York and Ithaca campuses through videoconferences, live streaming lectures and visiting faculty, but they know that nothing compares to being there and experiencing the campus first hand.

Golkowska says that another key benefit of the program is the invaluable opportunity it provides students for personal growth and gaining independence. “For many of them, it is the first time they will be away from their families and doing things for themselves. It gives them confidence when they see that they can thrive on their own in a totally new environment,” she said.

“I think it’s time to learn how to take care of ourselves,” Foundation student Munera Al-Hitmi said.

“It’s a bit scary. I’ve never done these things on my own,” said Dalal Hussain. “It will be challenging to learn to balance studying with doing laundry and those kinds of things.”

It’s a big step for the students, but their trepidation is outweighed by excitement. “I am looking forward to meeting people from different cultures,” said Maryem Al Manaa. “And the nice weather and nature. I’m told it’s amazing and beautiful there.”

The students can take part in a number of social and cultural activities with their Ithaca counterparts, including trips to Boston and Niagara Falls, sporting events and outings into Ithaca’s countryside.

Golkowska, who will accompany the students as an advisor, is arranging a presentation on her UREP-funded research project, “Environmental Protection in Qatar: challenges and changing attitudes.” Amna Al-Khuzaei, a 2008 Foundation student, served as research assistant on the project and will take part in the presentation.

“The presentation will be open to other students there, so they can also learn something about Qatar,” Golkowska said.

A great deal of preparation takes place before the students even start packing their bags, notes McKee, including information sessions for students and their parents, securing funding through Qatar’s Higher Education Institute, purchasing tickets and securing visas. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, staff in Ithaca make arrangements for housing, course registration, and any number of other activities.

Groups of Foundation students have been making the journey to the Ithaca campus since 2007 when the program was still only a pilot. Each year since then, a larger percentage of the class has taken advantage of the summer courses.

The students in this year’s class will be enrolled in two courses, The Personal Essay and Contemporary Moral Issues, chosen to foster their skills in English, critical thinking and personal expression. Grades from the courses will form part of their Cornell GPA, giving them an opportunity to start off with a strong academic footing.

Report by Chris Gibbons