August 25, 2005
Scarborough resident Sarah Abrams returns to Clark University with lessons learned from the Dominican Republic
WORCESTER, Mass. - Sarah G. Abrams of Scarborough, Maine, is one of ten Clark University undergraduates who recently returned to campus after spending the summer abroad conducting research with support from the Anton Fellowship Program.
Abrams spent time in the Dominican Republic working in mobile medical clinics, teaching English in a school in a sugar-cane cutting village and conducting research on Haitian immigrant families. She wanted to learn what influences Haitian immigrants’ decisions about their children's education, and what impact their children's education has on their access to health care and job opportunities. She also investigated the relationship between the hospital and education, and wanted to see if there was a correlation between students of the hospital school and health awareness.
“A lot of what I learned over the course of the summer surprised me,” said Abrams. “Although Haitians truly are a disadvantaged community within the Dominican Republic, the opportunities for education, work, and health care are far greater than they would have access to back in Haiti.”
Abrams said that most children attend elementary school and many plan to go onto high school and even attend universities in nearby cities.
“The kids are aware of what goes on in the country beyond the processing of sugarcane, and are eager to get the education they need to be a part of that,” she said. “The kids in my classes were excited to spend their summer vacation learning English because they knew that having a foreign language is an invaluable skill when getting a job-especially in a tourism-driven economy.”
Duncan Earle, professor of anthropology and Latin American Studies in Clark’s International Development, Community, and Environment (IDCE) Program, wrote a letter of recommendation for Sarah when she applied for funding from the Anton Fellowship Program.
“Sarah is the kind of self-motivated, even visionary student we strongly encourage here at Clark,” he said.
Carol D'Lugo, professor of Spanish, described Sarah as “the epitome of our classical Clarkie-intelligent, sensitive to social problems, anxious to be an activist through peaceful means.” D’Lugo said Sarah “wanted to make the world a better place."
Abrams is entering her sophomore year at Clark and is majoring in international development and social change and Spanish. She is active in Christian Campus Ministry and Worcester Christian Collegiate Network at Clark. She is the daughter of Joanne and Dan Abrams of Scarborough. She is a 2003 graduate of Scarborough High School.
This is the fifth year of the Anton Fellowship Program, which was created by a gift from Barbara ’56 and Thomas ’56 Anton to give undergraduates more opportunities to explore their intellectual interests. The fellowships range from $500 to $2,500. Recipients also become members of the Society of Anton Fellows, which meets with faculty mentors at special gatherings throughout the year to share their research experiences. The Anton Fellowship Program is directed by Professor Sharon Krefetz.
Clark University is a private, co-educational liberal-arts research university with 2,000 undergraduate and 600 graduate students. Since its founding in 1887 as the first all-graduate school in New England, Clark has challenged convention with innovative programs such as the International Studies Stream, the Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the five-year BA/MA programs with the fifth year tuition-free for eligible students.
Angela M. Bazydlo
Associate Director of Media Relations
Clark University
Worcester, Mass.
phone: 508-793-7635
www.clarku.edu
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