October 22, 2018

A study abroad trip to The Gambia allowed Emily Crawford ’15 the chance to get a once-in-lifetime look at another education system.

Able to create her own independent study while studying in Gambia, the sociology major and English minor focused on understanding why students there are prevented from progressing through their education system.

She interviewed professionals at schools and education-based nonprofit organizations and spoke with the students about the obstacles they faced.

“I learned a lot about the education system that I would not have otherwise noticed as a student temporarily studying at the University of The Gambia. As someone who’s interested in the power of education and in transforming educational policy, it gave me incredible insight,” Crawford says.

After graduation, Crawford worked as a remedial literacy tutor in the Americorps program in the Denver area. She now works as a literary specialist with the Peace Corps in Uganda. When her service ends at the end of 2018, she plans to return to the United States to pursue an education certification.