By: Josh Dawkins

I have only one phrase to say if you are ‎considering this program: you must apply. Singlehandedly, it is one of the most emotional, ‎meaningful, impactful study abroad projects I have participated in.‎

First we begin with the people. Immediately, I was greeted with smiles, chants of “where are you ‎from?” and “welcome home.” The people of Palestine were gracious and caring from the start, ‎thanking us for attending and particularly proud that we came to learn about their country, ‎history, and customs. Place after place, we were bombarded with offers of coffee, dinner ‎invitations, offers to accompany us anywhere, and a general need to be with us at all times. The ‎Palestinian people are a proud people, striking the chord of common humanity at every ‎moment.

The landscape was breathtaking, with gorgeous mountains, constant sun, and clean streets and ‎alleys. The historical landmarks were plentiful and ageless, giving a sense that Palestine has a ‎proud heritage. The University has a family-feel about it, with students saying “salaam” from ‎across the open campus, sensing that foreigners had made a long journey to see their country.  ‎The food was amazing, served family style as yet another example of how community is ‎important to the Palestinians.‎

The program is amazingly designed to gain cultural awareness by building strong relationships ‎with local Palestinians. We taught a course to a group of An-Najah students with limited English ‎language proficiency. I was in charge of teaching 55 current graduates skills that would be ‎necessary for them to secure jobs in the competitive global job market. We focused on making a ‎first impression, analyzed and presented on the 12 most commonly asked interview questions, ‎re-wrote resumes, and worked on how to successfully ask for a letter of recommendation. The ‎class was a mix of group-work and pair-work, allowing the students the opportunity to present ‎in front of one another, thus building presentation skills and confidence.‎