When students and faculty go study abroad, they have an opportunity to represent Harding. New friendships are made and those who partake in abroad programs can influence people all over the world. Freshmen Alkmini Evniki Tsirmpa of Greece and Josh Caulder of Zambia were influenced by students on overseas programs and decided to come to Harding as students themselves.
“My dad is the lawyer (for Harding in Greece), so we have known Harding for awhile,” Tsirmpa said. “When I got older we started metting students there and we connected with them because we were older.”
According to Tsirmpa, since being given the opportunity to get closer to Harding students in recent groups that came to Greece, she was influenced to come to America. Tsirmpa spent the last year studying in France in the medical field, but she said she realized this was not the path of study for her and decided to venture out. Tsirmpa said her family did not initially support the idea of her studying in America, but said they really like Harding.
Caulder, however, said his family was all for him coming to America from the beginning. Caulder said he made his decision because he thought it was his option for quality academics.
“It was the best option for me; a lot of other universities were going to be more expensive,” Caulder said. “Even if I decided to go to a public school, it would have been about the same as far as international fees go.”
Caulder was home-schooled in Zambia using an American system. According to Caulder, he was already used to the American education system and he wanted something familiar to him. Caulder said his family was associated with Harding in the past as well, and Caulder completed his senior year of high school at Harding Academy. His family now works with children in Zambia.
Both Caulder and Tsirmpa said they have experienced cultural differences since beginning at Harding.
“People don’t greet and say goodbye,” Caulder said. “Where I am from, if people come together everyone shakes each other’s hands and maybe give them a hug and a kiss on the cheek and the same when leaving. While as here there are awkward silences and people walk away.”
Tsirmpa said she had difficulty with the language, and the beginning of this year was a little overwhelming, but she said the people at Harding made the transition easier.
“I really enjoy having the Christian subject touched and blending it together inside the classes,” Tsirmpa said. “I have been trying to do that but in school and they would teach you contrary to religion or they would say stuff to undermine the Christian point of view.”
