Centralight

Joshua Finn Where he lived: Ashbod, Israel Joshua Finn, '13, was in Israel teaching English to elementary school kids when, on a whim, he taught them how to sing the Miley Cyrus hit "Party in the USA" in sign language. In a fl ash, he felt like he had found his purpose. "I was suddenly teaching them two languages," Joshua says. "It was so cool. I realized that day, "This is what I want to do.'" He had minored in American Sign Language at CMU. To take his interpreting skills further, he enrolled at Oakland Community College when he returned from Israel and is pursuing a degree in interpreting. For a year starting in August 2013, Finn lived in an apartment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea while he taught English with the Israeli Teaching Fellows program. "Everyone needs to get out of their comfort zone and travel," Joshua says. When he says out of his comfort zone, he means it. He and his young students had to take cover in a shelter one day, as rockets launched by terrorists from the Gaza Strip hit near the school. There were all kinds of adjustments. "No one spoke English in my town," he says. "When I went to the doctor, I had to point to my body parts that hurt. I had to really immerse myself." Joshua can't wait to launch his new career. "You have to be happy and do what you love," he says. "Make the world a better place – not just using your degree, but using your life experiences to shape what you want to do. "Take your experiences and do great things." JOSHUA'S TRAVEL TIP: "Go to the nearest chicken shwarma stand or get some authentic falafel. It will be the best thing you do in your day." Pardon Joshua while he swoons. "Oh, the hummus," he says dreamily. "It's addictive." If you visit Ashdod, a peaceful beach community, buy a kite, and fl y it on the beach. "But watch out for jellyfi sh. I got stung 19 times." Amber Kasic Where she lived: Spain, Chile, Peru and Ghana, Africa These days, Amber Kasic, '03, M.A. '09, is a Spanish teacher at Holland High School in West Michigan, but her students get so much more than lessons in conjugating verbs. Amber's time at CMU opened up the world to her, beginning with a study abroad trip. Now she broadens the world for her students, literally taking them around the globe. "Tomorrow, we're doing a video conference with some indigenous people in Peru," she says, as casually as if she were talking about a pop quiz. Amber regularly plans two-year projects with her students that culminate with service trips to Peru. Some of her students raised $4,000 over two years to build a kitchen for hungry children. They also wrote bilingual books for kids and illustrated them. She then took the students to that country, where they met the kids they helped. They saw their books in the library. "It was so eye-opening for them," she says. That seed was planted when Amber did her fi rst study abroad – 10 weeks in Spain, in 2001, as a CMU sophomore. "I barely spoke Spanish," she recalls. "I was 19, and I went all by myself." Other study abroad trips would follow – a summer in Chile, which included time in Peru. Then another summer in Spain. "I started forming more intimate relationships with people," Amber says. "I started to notice, 'I am these people. I'm human, they're human.' I realized I wanted to bring this to my students." She traveled last year to Ghana, teaching in a school for girls and leading workshops for their teachers. "I'm so grateful to CMU," Amber says. "My study abroad experiences really changed the trajectory of my life. They shaped who I am as a person, who I am as a teacher. Those programs at CMU that inspired me have ultimately impacted thousands of lives." AMBER'S TRAVEL TIP: Don't miss Machu Picchu in Peru, the 15th-century marvel of mortar-free limestone architecture perched on a high plateau deep in the Amazonian jungle. "There's a foot path through the Andes Mountains to get there," Amber says. "When you get to the highest peak, there are 100 vertical steps up. It's nothing less than a spiritual experience. If you can hike up there for the sunrise, you'll be standing in the clouds." 24 centralight spring '15

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