Anthony Jette volunteered at a health clinic in Peru; and James Godbout spent a few nights in the desert with the Moroccan military .

Both West Virginia University juniors were among the first Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students to participate in the Cadet Culture and Language Immersion Internship Program.

The summer internship program, part of the Army ROTC’s Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency Strategy, is designed to help Army ROTC students become well-rounded officers in the military.

“Culture and language immersion prepares these future leaders to make better decisions, not only in the best interest of the U.S. but also of the country they are operating in. The internships help eliminate stereotypes and build mutual respect,” said Major Mark Hennigan, assistant professor of Military Science.

Cadets that participate in the government-funded program participate in military-to-military training, or work with non-governmental organizations on humanitarian projects.

Jette, a pre-nursing major from Fort Meade, Md., spent three weeks of his summer in Peru working on humanitarian projects. While he was there he volunteered at clinics and schools. He also explored the culture and learned the language thorough classes and visits to the Amazon jungle and Machu Picchu.

“It was the highlight of my summer,” Jette said. “We don’t get to see these things everyday. I really learned a lot about the culture and after a few days began to pick up some of the language.”

Godbout, a history major from Annandale, Va., spent four weeks of his summer with the Moroccan military. He took classes the Moroccans set up for him to learn about the language, cities and culture. Godbout also spent the night in the desert, learned how the military operated, lived in the Moroccan barracks and joined in their military training.

“It was great to see how another part of the world operates,” Godbout said. “It was very interesting and will help me to be a more effective officer when I graduate.”

This is the second year the culture and language internship program has been in existence. Jette and Godbout were the first students from WVU to participate in the program.

WVU’s Army ROTC program provides individuals with the tools, training and experiences they need to become officers in the U.S. Army. There are approximately 250 students currently enrolled in the program.

In 2007-08 WVU’s Army ROTC program was recognized as the best program in the Eastern Region of the United States and in turn was awarded the General Douglas MacArthur Award.

For more information on WVU’s Army ROTC program, visit http://armyrotc.com/edu/wvauniv/index.htm or contact Hennigan at 304-685-7766 or Mark.Hennigan@mail.wvu.edu .

-WVU-

09/10/09

CONTACT: Colleen Wright, News and Information Services
304-293-5507, Colleen.Wright@mail.wvu.edu