APSU math students visit Jamaica for service-learning study abroad
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 Several years ago, Cory Reeder spent a few relaxing days at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. He always wanted to go back and see more of the Caribbean island, so when the Austin Peay State University mathematics graduate student heard APSU was resuming its service-learning, study abroad trip to Jamaica, he signed up immediately.
Earlier this summer, Reeder once again steered his wheelchair through the Jamaican airport and into an awaiting van, but this time, he didn鈥檛 stop at a nice hotel resort. The van took him to the town of May Pen, where he and a group of APSU students spent the next few days teaching at Bustamante High School.
鈥淲hen I first rolled in the door, it was an awakening,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here were no regular windows or doors, no air-conditioning.鈥
The two-story, concrete building was covered with graffiti, and the sweltering classrooms were littered with broken desks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the poorest schools in the poorest area of Jamaica,鈥 Dr. Jackie Vogel, APSU professor of mathematics, said. 鈥淭hese are the kids who score the lowest. It鈥檚 challenging, but they do so much with what little they have, it鈥檚 a miracle in action.鈥
In the winter of 2019-20, Vogel led the first Department of Mathematics and Statistics study abroad trip to the island nation, and the transformative experience had her eager to return with more students. But later that spring, the COVID-19 pandemic reached Clarksville, and Austin Peay suspended all international travel.
Two years later in June 2022, Vogel returned to Jamaica with a new group of students.
鈥淎s part of this program, we have Math 490H, a high-impact practices class, and you don鈥檛 have to be a math major to take that class,鈥 Vogel said. 鈥淚n it, we鈥檙e looking for a way that math relates to the real world.鈥
As part of that real-world component, Vogel worked with Dr. Samuel Jator, chair of the APSU Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Dr. Marsha Lyle-Gonga, APSU political science professor and native of Jamaica, to develop the innovative study abroad program. They partnered with the nonprofit Mission 418, which is run by Jator鈥檚 former pastor.
Ebonie Simms, a teacher鈥檚 aide at Kenwood Middle School and a student in the APSU Eriksson College of Education鈥檚 Grow Your Own Program, signed up to put some stamps in her new passport book. When she arrived at Bustamante High School, she let her recent education training take over.
鈥淚t was completely different than the schools I work in,鈥 she said, 鈥淚 already work in the classroom environment, so I just did what I normally do in a classroom, asking 鈥榃here鈥檚 your notebook,鈥 and saying, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go,鈥 see how they鈥檙e working, if they understand. I was able to help, and the teacher was like, 鈥極K, you teach the next sessions.鈥 I was like, 鈥楢re you sure?鈥 That was the first day.鈥
APSU mathematics major Quincy Gordon had a specific goal for her visit to the island. During the spring semester, she compared the COVID-19 infection rates in the U.S. to those in Jamaica for her senior seminar project. She planned to see the difference first-hand, so after working in the school, she visited a local nursing home.
鈥淭he nursing home we went to didn鈥檛 have any COVID cases the entire time,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat went along with what I found because they took it more seriously than we did from the get-go. Even the patients in the nursing home said they didn鈥檛 want to see family and put themselves at risk.鈥
APSU students Ashley Hertzka and Riley Perkins also went on the trip, and after the busy week 鈥 which did include some sightseeing and a visit to one of those all-inclusive resorts 鈥 the group returned safely to Clarksville. Vogel is already making plans for next year鈥檚 trip.
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