Renee Boney-Jett
Fall 2019 Engagement Scholarship Recipient
I’m a technical fourth-year student finishing my final semester in Kenya, which would not have been possible without receiving the PES Engagement Scholarship. First, I would like to express gratitude for being selected. This scholarship will assist me in expanding my understanding of international development, colonial legacies, cultural competence, and even Swahili language learning. Second, this scholarship will assist me in deeply connecting with some of East Africa’s most intellectual professors while learn from an alternate lens. I have been introduced to UNESCO’s project to decolonize Africa’s history—which has yet to be popularized in US—and I have the opportunity to present a proposal on how to infiltrate educational spaces and expose African Americans to the project’s agenda.
I plan to enhance this opportunity by using the funds from my PES Scholarship to conduct my own observational research through exponential learning excursions. In fact, I plan to conduct a research project at Nairobi National Museum before starting my internship with them in November. The funds from my PES Scholarship will assist in travel expenses and compiling the information I need for my research on the museum and other related educational sites and how these spaces differ from informal educational institutions in the US. My study abroad journey has just begun but I’m already thrilled with what I’ve been exposed to while here, and I want to again show gratitude for being selected for this scholarship.