CCGA hosts Belizean college professors as part of cultural exchange
By LAUREN MCDONALD lmcdonald@goldenisles.news
Three Belizean college lecturers are spending a couple weeks far from home in Brunswick as part of a culinary arts faculty exchange with College of Coastal Georgia.
Josephine Juan from Sacred Heart Junior College, Lyann Onecia Flowers from Stann Creek Independence Junior College and Tiresie Lino from Ecumenical Junior College are hospitality management and tourism lecturers from Belize, located on the eastern coast of Central America.
They’ve spent this past week at CCGA’s Camden campus, working with chefs Carl Miller and Steve Ingersoll and doing hands-on, full-service observations in the preparation of campus dining events. They have taken part in discussions of hospitality management and tourism and have worked with CCGA students in classes.
“We’re doing a lot of hands-on activities, so we’ll be in class and on site, going to visitor attractions,” Flowers said.
The three women will also visit a variety of externship sites to meet the operations staff and learn how an externship is established and maintained.
“One of the main things we want to foster is that international relationship, building bridges across borders, so we can help our students be more exposed as opposed to just staying local,” Flowers said. “We can give them that opportunity to broaden their horizons and get practical skills and see where we can facilitate that, so to speak.”
Juan said she’s hoping this trip will allow for future exchanges not only between students but faculty as well.
“Doing something like this would broaden students’ horizons, and they could experience other parts of the world, how things operate,” she said. “I’m enjoying it. It’s a big learning experience for me.”
CCGA President Greg Aloia said this visit from the Belizean faculty only furthers the college’s initiative to provide students with an international educational experience.
“This is getting it down to the grassroots, because they’ll go back and be able to share with their students and faculty,” he said. “Our curriculums are both enriched, and our students are enriched.”
Tracy Pellett, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said CCGA’s partnership with Belize has been ongoing in some capacity for almost two years, but has gained momentum this past year.
“This faculty exchange program is a microcosm of our expansion efforts to create a seamless pipeline where our students, faculty and staff can take advantage of the benefits and opportunities afforded through study abroad and other global educational exchanges,” he said.
Flowers, Juan and Lino will spend time on Brunswick’s campus this week and will tour the local attractions, including Sea Island and Jekyll Island.
“That’s what tourism is all about, learning from one another and exchanging cultures,” Juan said. “It’s been absolutely amazing so far.”
Photo by Kynder Ganoe ’18
Pictured, from left, are CCGA Chef Steve Ingersoll; Tiresie Lino, Ecumenical Junior College (Belize); Dr. Tracy Pellett, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Lyann Onecia Flowers, Stann Creek Independence Junior College (Belize); CCGA Carl Miller; Josephine Juan, Sacred Heart Junior College (Belize); Dr. Skip Mounts, Dean of School of Business and Public Management; and CCGA President Greg Aloia.