Profile of a Past Experimenter

Libby Cummings

Hometown: Cape Elizabeth, ME

Year: 2006

Why did you choose to participate on an Experiment program?

I chose to go to Switzerland with the Experiment because I wanted to improve my French language skills, and I knew that immersion would be the best way to do that. I was also fascinated with what I had heard and read about Switzerland itself. (What's not to love about a country that's known for skiing, banks, and chocolate?)

What was your most meaningful experience while on your Experiment program?

I didn't really have just one "most" meaningful experience. I had a lot of little realizations about the differences between my culture and Swiss culture and a lot of little experiences that connected me with my group and host family. I remember teaching my host sister to play a card game (in French) and driving to the top of a mountain to eat at a fantastic fondue place and watching the World Cup final in a café in town...there are so many things I did that meant a lot to me.

The most profound moment I can remember, though, was on my last day in Switzerland. I got up earlier than the rest of my group and just sat on the balcony of our hotel room, drinking hot chocolate and looking down at the streets of Geneva. There were all kinds of people out walking and buying bread and riding motorbikes, and there were birds flying around over my head. I could see Lake Geneva in the distance. It was then that I realized how much I had fallen in love with Switzerland and how much I would miss it.

What was the highlight?

The highlight of my experience was the few days my group spent in the alpine village of Saas Fee. We hiked, did some mountain biking, explored the glacier, did a ropes course with a zipline across a huge gorge, and ate picnics in alpine meadows. I felt like I was in a movie, and the amazingly beautiful scenery never ceased to astound me...plus all the people there were really friendly.

How did you feel about The Experiment's immersion-based approach?

I had a really hard time with it...I'm a perfectionist, and it was frustrating for me not to be able to express myself perfectly to my host family in French. However, I learned more useful French during my homestay than I could ever have learned in class. I also learned so many things about Swiss daily life that I could never have read about. It's definitely a unique experience, and I'm glad I did it. I made a great connection with my host family; they were so kind to me. My host sister is even coming here to visit me this summer.

How did your group contribute to the experience?

They made my experience absolutely amazing! Everyone in my group of 11 students got along well, and we supported and listened to each other. I had great conversations, experiences, and connections with my group. I'm from Maine, so I am really defensive about the fact that I'm a "normal kid" and that I don't live "in the woods." However, after talking to the people from my group who lived all over the country, I learned a lot about how my lifestyle really is different from lifestyles in other parts of America.

In what way did the experience result in personal growth that is reflected in your current life?

The experience gave me the confidence to persevere through things that frustrate me. It also gave me the realization that America is not the only important country—or the best country—in the world. Obviously I knew that before, but Switzerland made me understand how many different, yet equally meaningful, languages and cultures exist in the world. When I got back, I really reexamined my way of life at home and decided what needed to be changed about it. I am now eager to learn about and experience other cultures.

If you had one thing to say about why a prospective student should choose EIL, what would it be?

I loved EIL. I have a friend who went to France and another friend who went to Botswana with EIL, and they loved it too. It's just a great program with awesome experiences and group leaders, and it really focuses on discovering the culture of a place and living in it rather than being tourists. Other programs focus more on looking at scenery and stuff like that, but no other program can give you the cultural experiences that EIL gives you.

What advice would you give to a student about to embark on an Experiment summer program?

All this advice sounds cliché, but it holds true... Keep an open mind. Write in a journal every day and take lots of pictures, because you will definitely want to remember your experience. Be friendly and outgoing, because then you'll meet great new people. And live in the moment—make the most of your experience and you'll remember it forever.

In today's world, why is it important for young people to consider participating on an Experiment program?

Like I mentioned before, America is not the only country out there. Our nation is very involved in international conflicts and issues, but we are also known for being ignorant and impatient with people who speak different languages and have different customs. When many Americans travel, they are openly ignorant of the people living in the places they go to. Young people need to learn to keep open minds about other cultures and to reexamine their own cultures so that they can make informed decisions in the future, and EIL is a great way to do that.