Observing historical sites, eating with Buddhist monks and exploring a foreign country sounds like a dream. De Anza College students can live the dream by studying abroad this summer and immersing themselves in an unfamiliar country.

One group will travel to Vietnam to experience a program that intertwines courses with Vietnamese culture, so students witness what life is like for Vietnamese people after the Vietnam war. Another program features studies in Europe (see ad on page 3).

The Vietnam program was introduced in the 1990s by Vietnam veteran and retired professor John Swensson, who wanted to generate healing between the American and Vietnamese people.

De Anza alumna Katherine Ja travelled to Vietnam with the program in 2013.

“We had a guest speaker speak to us about the imminent land mines that still lay in wait to explode on unsuspecting civilians” Ja said. “This trip developed my understanding and awareness of what happened in the Vietnam War.”

The 2016 trip will introduce new experiences that many students would not be able to witness in the U.S.

“A highlight for me was visiting a Buddhist monastery in the hills between the capital city of Hanoi and the coast of Ha Long Bay,” said De Anza alumn Chris Diamonds, who also went in 2013. “At the temple, we joined the Buddhist monks for the one meal they have per day, which was entirely vegetarian, and we ate in complete silence.”

Students will study the Vietnamese language and Vietnamese–American literature while traveling. They will learn about the working conditions in a Communist country.

“We saw a 5-year-old girl working in the middle of the night, selling cheap lottery tickets while we were on a ferry boat.” said English Instructor Karen Chow, who will be returning this summer for her second study abroad trip to Vietnam. “All the students have much more awareness and are appreciative of their relative privilege to the average person in Vietnam.”

Although the trip might be difficult and challenging at times, previous study abroad students still recommend and encourage others to take advantage of this incredible opportunity, Chow said.

“Studying abroad is a must,” Ja said. “You can never create the experiences and the memories out of pure imagination. Being in the place itself really illuminates the literature.”

A requirement for the program is a minimum GPA of 2.5 and a $500 deposit. The trip will cost $3,750, including airfares.

Students can apply for a $500 scholarship if needed. The next informational meeting will be Wednesday, April 20 from 2-3 p.m. in Library room 237.