Amanda Sanford is the owner of a Eastern-European cat and a skilled communicator in the Bulgarian language. Her worldly interests translate into a passion for intercultural communication.
The communication graduate student seeks to learn more about “international media and the role it plays in cultural communication and understanding, as well as international relations.” Amanda joined the program after two and half years in the Peace Corps.
Her first summer abroad was spent in intensive language courses while living with a Bulgarian family. She later taught high school in a city called Gabrovo and volunteered at the YMCA, or what it’s called locally, the IMKA.
“I fell in love with Gabrovo; it reminded me a lot of the Pacific Northwest because of the surrounding hills and the loads of trees and, being centrally located, it was somewhat accessible for both visiting the sea to the east and the mountains to the west and south.” Upon her return, Amanda put her communication skills to work as an intern at Intel. She worked in the corporate affairs department, primarily giving students tours of the facility. She recalls, “The age groups ranged from 4th grade through college graduates, so sometimes it was a challenge to make each session interesting and worthwhile with the different interests and backgrounds of the group.”
She now looks forward to focusing on her second year of graduate coursework. She still gets the travelling itch and hopes to work for an international organization that focuses on development. She also notes that her foreign feline, Jeri, has adjusted well to American life. Story and photo by
Melissa Shavlik |
