CSUB offering first faculty-led trip to Dominica

Two-week summer program will focus on culture, health on Caribbean island

By California State University, Bakersfield

October 2^nd, 2024

Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Heidi McLaughlin knows firsthand how impactful it can be for college students to experience the culture of a foreign country.

While pursuing her bachelor’s in Russian language and literature at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Dr. McLaughlin took advantage of study abroad trips to the Russian city of St. Petersburg. As part of her graduate work at University of California, Riverside, she conducted research in east Africa on how children there learn about health concepts such as germs.

“When you get to study abroad and just interact with people and see how others survive day-to-day, it helps to provide new perspectives on your own life,” she said. “Going internationally in an educational environment first was so great because I had a purpose for being in that country outside of just a vacation. Having that purpose helped me understand everyday life in those countries as more than just a fun trip, and I felt I was better able to see my own culture with a different perspective.”

Now Dr. McLaughlin is hoping to give other students that experience by leading California State University, Bakersfield’s first-ever faculty-led trip to Dominica, a small island nation in the Caribbean that is often mistaken for the Dominican Republic.

The trip, which will take place June 16-29, is being offered through the Psychology Department. While it is geared toward psychology majors, it is open to students from all majors. Students interested in applying for the program have until the end of October to fill out an interest form.

“What I like about Dominica is the government is very invested in study-abroad students visiting and learning about the island and their culture. They provide a lot of resources for students and really open up the whole island for students to see what’s there,” Dr. McLaughlin said. “It’s not as glamourous as going to Paris, but its more representative of the majority world — how people around the world are actually living.”

During the trip, students will have the opportunity to visit primary and secondary schools in Castle Bruce, the small community they will be staying in, to learn about how the education system is structured in Dominica.

They will also go to the capital of Roseau, where they will visit a hospital and infirmary to learn about how health care is managed on the island.

“They’ll meet with a healer, who will talk to students about what island remedies and treatments they use, how he deals with health from a traditional island perspective,” Dr. McLaughlin said.

The students will also have the opportunity to visit care facilities for the elderly and children who have been victims of abuse to learn about how the island cares for these populations.

There will also be time for some fun excursions on the trip, such as visiting some of Dominica’s beaches as well as going snorkeling and horseback riding.

The goal of the program is to educate students on how cultural and health practices often relate to and inform each other and how cultural factors can have a significant impact on health care.

“Sometimes we think of our health practices as being outside the scope of cultural practices, but in fact they are very reflective of one another,” Dr. McLaughlin said.

It is this dual examination of culture and health that convinced CSUB student Diana Carranza to apply for the program.

“It will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about culture, alternative medicine and ways of living,” she said. “I want to see if anything I learn can be used down the road in my own path in life.”

'A great multicultural perspective'

Brenda Cortez just started her master’s program in counseling psychology this semester and hopes to become licensed as a marriage and family therapist. She wanted to sign up for the class because she feels it could help her become better prepared to be a therapist.

“I’m hoping it will give us a great multicultural perspective,” she said. “When you have the opportunity to travel, you often don’t deeply engage with the community. You don’t really understand people’s struggles, how they advocate for themselves. This is a great opportunity to hear people’s stories. I’m really excited to see how impactful it will be.”

Cortez also hopes the trip will help her grow on a personal level.

“One day, I hope I’m able to look back at my life and reflect on the empathy and understanding I have for people outside the United States,” she said. “I think being able to engage with different communities will help me develop an identity for myself.”

Dr. McLaughlin said that personal growth is one of the most critical elements of study abroad programs.

“Going abroad and having to figure things out in an unfamiliar environment really boosts self-confidence and independence,” she said. “I hope they come back with a better awareness of their own context and a newfound passion or newfound understanding of who they are. I also really hope they can take these experiences and use them as examples as they continue their growth as students.”

Dr. McLaughlin — who joined CSUB last academic year — believes the trip will also be a great learning experience for herself, as this will be the first time she has led a study abroad program.

“Learning and working abroad is a very valuable experience, and I’ve been wanting to give that experience to students,” she said. “Students who study abroad graduate earlier. They feel more connected to the university. They have these experiences they can connect to what they’re learning. It really improves their overall quality of education. That’s what I’m hoping to provide to them.”

The Dominica program is the latest in a string of new study abroad programs at the university. Students were able to take advantage of faculty-led trips to Japan and the Basque Country this past summer. Visit the Study Abroad webpage for more information about upcoming travel opportunities.