Elizabeth Ehly (Mexico)
The controversial election of a recent Mexican president may baffle some students, but social policy major Elizabeth Ehly has a pretty good handle on what's going on. She's been studying the Mexican political process firsthand since mid-June through Northwestern's Mexico in Transition summer program. Ehly frequently volunteers, either at the Evanston YMCA, in Roger's Park, or at Rotaract, the Rotary-sponsored club at NU. At the end of the summer, Ehly and the other 15 NU students in this program will receive four credits for their work.
Summer Northwestern: What have you been doing down there?
Elizabeth Ehly: I've been attending a lot of guest lectures and am researching the role of the Left in Mexico and Latin America as a whole. I hope to draw some conclusions between the incredible poverty that is present in Mexico and the Left's role in ameliorating this situation. Comparing and contrasting the three main parties in Mexico and their previous achievements and failures in dealing with the enormous disparities in wealth, living conditions and opportunities will hopefully shed light on what has worked for Mexico and what type of programs might work in the future.
SN: How did you find out about the Mexico program?
EE: I learned about the program through the study abroad Web site. I have studied Spanish for a number of years and always been fascinated by Mexican culture and history. I hoped that a firsthand learning experience would help me better understand this amazing culture as well as the many difficulties facing such a large portion of its population. My interest in the relationship between people and their government, as well as the government's role in providing social programs and opportunities for the less fortunate, also drew me to this program.
SN: What has been the most rewarding thing about what you are doing?
EE: I haven't been here that long, but I believe that getting to understand another perspective and way of life has been very interesting and helped me look at my own culture in a very different light.
SN: What is one thing you miss about America?
EE: Sometimes I miss home, but I enjoy the challenge. The thing I miss the most, however, would have to be my friends and family and the income from a summer job.
Spring Break
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