Featured Person: Sarah Leslie

Name: Sarah Leslie

Age During Exchange: 20 (College junior)

Disability: Hard of hearing

Hometown: Silverton, Oregon, USA

Host Countries: Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Palestine

Program Length: Three months

Exchange Type: Study abroad

About Me: My hometown is Silverton, Oregon, where I grew up with my parents and siblings. Out of the four children in my family, I am the quiet, introverted one, so it’s interesting that I’m also the one who has traveled the most internationally! Prior to this exchange experience, I traveled with MIUSA to Bahrain in 2008 and to Italy with a school program in 2005. The experience of traveling to Italy was a bit terrifying for me as a shy eighth grader, but it lit my passion for travel. Traveling to Bahrain only furthered my desire to learn more about the Middle East, which in some ways led me to major in Reconciliation Studies at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a minor in political science.

Describe your international exchange program.

I was a student in a program called the Middle East Studies Program (MESP), which is run by a consortium of Christian colleges known as BestSemester/Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.

By "student" I do not mean that I was in a traditional university classroom. Instead, our group of 27 students learned in different settings. We studied Arabic, Islamic thoughts and practices, conflict and change in the Middle East, and the people and culture of the Middle East. We also had service projects once a week.

Was your international exchange experience arranged through an exchange organization? If so, what was the application process like?

MESP is a competitive program, and not everyone who applies is accepted. The application process consisted of filling out an online application, a fee, and three references. I also had to fill out paperwork for my school in order to complete the application process with the organization.

If you received any scholarships, stipends, or other funding for your exchange, who provided them?

The only funding I received for my exchange was my financial aid package, which I was able to carry over to cover some of the cost for the exchange. I got to spend an extra ten days in Palestine which was fully funded by my school, Bethel University.

What were your concerns as you prepared to travel? What kinds of resources did you use to address these concerns?

My biggest concern as I prepared to travel was asking myself if I could really study Arabic. I have never studied an oral language before, besides working hard at English, so this was a big concern for me. In light of this, I signed up for a summer community college Arabic course in order to figure out what would be challenging and to get a head start, even though I hadn't been accepted for MESP at that point. My other concern was communication in the "classroom" settings which I addressed by bringing my FM system and discussing some of my concerns with the leaders and directors of the program. 

What was your experience living in the host country? Please share your impressions of housing, transportation, activities, cultural attitudes towards disability, and your strategies for navigating abroad.

My experience was nothing like I had prepared myself for. We arrived in Egypt three weeks before the revolution, which meant that just as we were settling in and learning a pattern to living in Egypt, we had to leave for Turkey.

From my three weeks in Egypt I would state that it is not an easily accessible location for individuals with physical disabilities. My director expressed his concerns for me about my safety as I walked around Cairo due to the dangerous lack of traffic laws. He was concerned that I would not be able to hear a bike or car come up behind me. When bicyclists come up behind people who are walking, they make a soft hissing sound which would be difficult for me to pick up on. My impression is that the cultural attitudes towards people with disabilities in Egypt are to either treat the individual "specially" or to institutionalize them. I had the privilege of working at the deaf school in Cairo for the short time I was there.

In Istanbul, Turkey, where we spent ten days, there was more order to traffic, but the curbs were very high off the ground in order to discourage cars from parking on the sidewalks like in Cairo. That would be difficult to navigate in Turkey for an individual with a physical disability. Transportation in Istanbul and Cairo was great in that you could get almost anywhere you needed to go, even though transportation was very crowded and hectic at times.

West Jerusalem, Israel was where we ended up staying for the rest of our exchange. I found Israel to be the easiest to navigate. Practically everyone in Israel/Palestine spoke English, which was not only frustrating for our Arabic studies, but it sent me back into a comfort zone that I wouldn't have experienced if our exchange had continued in Egypt. Although Israel/Palestine is a culturally diverse region, I thought it was similar to the United States in terms cultural attitudes towards disability.

What was one of your favorite memories?

Of course I have many memories but I have to say the best one I came away with was on my birthday. The day of my birthday, we had dialogues with students at Bethlehem University and were divided into small groups. In my group of MESPers (Middle East Studies Program students), there were a couple of people who knew sign language. One of them went around to everyone in my group and taught them how to sign the “Happy Birthday” song. That evening when I went into the room to celebrate my birthday with the group I was surprised by a birthday sung in both English and in sign language. My group’s inclusion of me really made the trip memorable.

Did you use assistive devices, adaptive equipment or disability-related accommodations during your exchange program? Were they helpful to you in your new environment?

I used my bi-lateral hearing aids and FM system on the exchange. The FM was especially helpful when taking tours with the group and in Arabic class. I also brought along an electronic dryer box for my hearing aids which caused a lot of suspicion whenever I traveled in and out of Israel with it.

How did you document your experiences? 

I documented my experience in a blog online, but I still need to get around to completing it!

Thinking back, what do you wish you had known before you began your journey?

I wish I had worked harder at getting to know the people in my group, because they were so awesome. I had a relationship with everyone to some extent but spent most of my time with only a couple of them. I wish I had gotten to know some of the other people better so that I would feel more comfortable getting in touch with them after traveling. 

What were the benefits of the experience, and how has your international experience informed your future plans?

The benefits of the experience are having a group of people I consider a family, witnessing a revolution in Egypt, and lots of other memories and lessons. My international experience has informed me that I would not be comfortable living alone internationally, though I hope to travel more in the future.

Do you have an exchange or disability-related question for Sarah? Email clearinghouse@miusa.org to contact her.

Visit our "Featured People" page to meet other international exchange alum.