University of Mississippi senior Kara Johnson of West Lafayette, Ind., hikes in the Black Forest mountain range, a popular tourist attraction in western Germany.
OXFORD, Miss. – Kara Johnson of West Lafayette, Ind., a senior at the University of Mississippi, is spending the fall semester in Germany, immersed in the country’s culture and enrolled in language, political science and history classes.
Johnson is a member of UM’s Croft Institute for International Studies and Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, slated for May graduation. She is majoring in international studies, concentrating on Europe and international governance and politics, with a minor in military science.
As a member of the Army ROTC program, she will graduate as a commissioned officer, with an eight-year commitment of service in the U.S. Army, beginning with active duty.
Academically this semester, she is enrolled with the Institute for the International Education of Students, an affiliate of UM’s Study Abroad Office. She will receive resident credit toward her major and minor, and by choosing an approved study abroad program, she was able to use her financial aid for this experience.
Johnson arrived at her study destination Sept. 6. She lives in a student apartment complex near Freiburg, Germany, population around 220,000, and her classes are held in the heart of Freiburg, about an eight-minute tram ride away.
“My experience so far has been wonderful. My classes are all taught in German, and the first three weeks were devoted to intensive language. The hardest part for me is getting used to speaking German all the time, but I know I’m doing well if the person I’m talking to doesn’t start talking to me in English,” she said with a laugh.
Johnson is extending her education beyond the classroom by immersing herself in the local scene and traveling around Europe.
“Freiburg offers lots of events and restaurants – the German food is delicious. The architecture is beautiful, and our town has a good mix of old medieval cathedrals and new contemporary designs, so every neighborhood has its own unique feel.”
She has hiked in the Black Forest and visited Alsace-Lorraine in France. Before returning to the states Dec. 16, she plans trips to Cologne, Munich and Heidelberg, as well as visits to Paris, Normandy, Switzerland, Dresden and Prague.
As far as distancing herself from home, Johnson dealt with that when she visited the Ole Miss campus during her senior year at William H. Harrison High School in Lafayette, home of Purdue University.
“I really loved Ole Miss when I visited in November 2007,” she said. “The campus was beautiful and everyone I met was so nice and helpful, and it offered everything I wanted in a college: my major, Army ROTC, small-town setting, SEC football, and it was in the South – rich history, warm weather and lots of good food.”
While Johnson knows what her future holds following graduation, she is also making long-term plans.
“I’m really looking forward to my active duty experience,” she said. “I know I’ll serve at least my eight-year commitment, and I’m also hoping to pursue a master’s degree in the next four or five years, so when my commitment is up, I can either stay in the Army or enter a civilian career. My plan is to keep my options open, and a second degree is a great way to do that.”
Throughout her Ole Miss career, Johnson has enjoyed the amenities of the Croft Institute, which administers the undergraduate program in international studies, a demanding interdisciplinary major in the College of Liberal Arts that offers small classes and individual attention. It requires intensive foreign language training and study abroad for one or two semesters.
Johnson previously studied abroad through the UM Russian Language Initiative, sponsored by the Study Abroad Office and the Department of Modern Languages. She spent a month studying intensive Russian at the International University in Moscow, Russia.
Her affiliation with the Honors College has given her access to its vibrant center of academic excellence, which merges intellectual rigor with public service to help member students from all disciplines become outstanding in their fields.
Johnson is the daughter of Bonnie and Larry Johnson of West Lafayette, Ind.
For more information, visit http://www.croft.olemiss.edu/