Living abroad in Morocco
International Education Week is taking place now, and Joline Keevy, Savannah State University's International Education Specialist, caught up with alumna Shaniqua Brown who is living abroad in Morocco to celebrate the value of being a global citizen. Read on for a great Q&A with Shaniqua on life in Morocco.
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| Alumna Shaniqua Brown, Class of 2019, is living abroad in Morocco. |
Name: Shaniqua Brown
Major: B.S in Interdisciplinary Studies - Education Studies track
Hometown: Hardeeville, SC + Ellenwood, GA
Where are you living:
Rabat, Morocco
How long have
you been there?
2
years
What other countries have you visited:
None (yet!) Morocco was my first
international experience when I joined peace corps in 2019, then COVID hit, but
I’m hoping 2022 will allow for more travel experiences.
What kind of work are you doing?
Pre-School Teaching at a Bilingual school and private
tutoring (ESL + SAT prep).
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| Brown teaches pre-k at a bilingual school and offers private tutoring for ESL and SAT prep. |
How long have your been in your current country?
Counting my time in the Peace Corps, almost 3
years.
What do you miss from home?
The culture of having an active nightlife and certain
snacks.
If you had a re-do on traveling, what would you have done
differently?
I’m
not a re-do or regret kind of person. My life was steered this way for a
reason. I think I appreciate and see international travel differently because I
see it as accessible now.
How has living abroad changed you or impacted your life?
Morocco has taught me to worry less about
time and work, and more about prioritizing things that matter: authentic
experiences, happiness, love, and family. I appreciate, embrace and cultivate
those relationships more. Moroccan culture is all about cultivating important
relationships and helping others.
Two things you love about your new home country?
The cost of living and the culture (people,
languages + laid back attitude with time).
Any final words for our SSU students?
American media has sold us the idea that
living anywhere outside of the US is scary and dangerous, especially as it
relates to the continent of Africa. I have never felt more safe and less stressed than being in Morocco. I have been able to connect to myself, my heritage
(Gullah-Geechee) and ancestry (Nigerian-Igbo) because I meet and connect with so many different people from all over Africa
while in Morocco. I can also do so much here that I wasn’t able to do in the
States - I finally having a savings account and I don’t struggle financially
anymore. As a first generation college student, that had always been a goal of mine.
Also, remember, Black people are not a Monolith. We are everywhere, we belong
everywhere, and can do anything! Connect to who you are.
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| Shaniqua Brown says she loves the cost of living and the culture in Morocco. |
The mission of the International Education Center encompasses a global societal mission through student centered engagement and faculty/staff interaction. The center promotes internationalization of curriculum through enhanced study abroad programming, international student recruitment, international faculty/staff support, and community outreach. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to study or work abroad, please visit the International Education Center located in Gardner Hall, or contact Keevy by emailing Keevyj@savannahstate.edu.