LaKaleb Bowen, ’24, is a criminology and justice studies major who admits to becoming captivated by Kent State’s education-abroad programs, noting that his most recent trip to Kigali, Rwanda, was an extraordinary experience focused on peace and conflict in the country.
Bowen has also completed education-abroad programs in Mexico studying cultural foundations and Colombia studying how the peace process was working in a country that had been ravaged by civil war.
The Kigali Summer Institute course was developed and taught by Sarah Schmidt, Ph.D., an instructor in the School of Peace and Conflict Studies and assistant director of global education initiatives at ɫapp at Stark. The course explores the post-genocide reconstruction of Rwanda and issues related to peace and conflict in the context of the country’s history.
Students learned about the 1994 genocide and how Rwanda has tried to overcome its past by instilling peace education in all its educational curriculums. This included touring a reconciliation village where survivors of the genocide live alongside those who perpetrated the violence, even those who killed their family members.
"I opted for the Kigali Summer Institute to gain a deeper understanding of their culture and perspective,” Bowen said. "I hoped that it would not only be a distinct experience but one that would offer unique insights. However, calling it insightful is an understatement. There's nothing that can adequately prepare you for such an extraordinary experience."
Bowen started taking courses at Kent State as a junior at Canton McKinley High School, through the College Credit Plus program and Kent State’s Rising Scholars Program, which helps students from underserved populations.
“When you go out and you experience in-the-field research and meet people on the ground, there’s nothing like it,” he said. “There’s nothing that parallels that kind of learning experience.”