Goshen College Study-Service Term unit will experience two Latin cultures; Non-renewed visas mean Cuba unit moves to Costa Rica

GOSHEN, Ind. – When traveling in foreign countries, even the best-laid plans can change at a moment’s notice. But with 35 years of history in navigating the governmental and cultural structures of nearly 20 host countries, Goshen College’s Study-Service Term (SST) office is adjusting to a very unexpected change of venue for its Cuba unit. The office received notice on May 24 that the Cuban government will not renew visas for the 21 college students on SST there this summer, which expire near the end of this week. The unit will relocate to Costa Rica on May 27 for their service assignments where they will be able to continue learning in a Spanish-speaking country.

The reason for non-renewal appears to be related to political rhetoric between U.S. and Cuban governments, though the college has not been given clear or specific reasons why the visas weren’t renewed. Unit leaders Keith and Ann Graber Miller met unsuccessfully with Cuban officials to see if anything could be done to maintain the unit.

“We simply and unexpectedly got caught in the middle of a conflict between the United States and Cuba, just at the moment we were trying to build bridges between our two countries,” said Keith Graber Miller, who has also led SST units in the Dominican Republic and China, where he and Ann first experienced communist government structures.

Goshen College had permission from the U.S. government to be in Cuba for educational purposes and was also approved by the Cuban government prior to the students’ departure on April 28. The college was licensed by the U.S. Department of Treasury and Cuban Bureau of Religious Affairs. This is the third year the college has sent a group to study in the communist country. Heading into this summer term, there was no suggestion that visas of group members would not be renewed. If there had been, Goshen College would not have sent a group, college officials are emphasizing.

President Shirley H. Showalter said, “Fortunately, we have a long history of successful international service programming in Costa Rica, which gave us options many other institutions would not have had in this situation.”

When the students arrive in Costa Rica, they will spend a week in orientation – getting acquainted with Costa Rican culture and debriefing about their transition. They will then move into service assignments around the country. They will have the opportunity to live with families, which wasn’t a possibility in Cuba. Associate Professor of English Beth Martin Birky, and her husband Dave, who previously led SST groups to Costa Rica, are setting up homes for the students to stay in and other logistics of such a move. The transition is anticipated to be a smooth one, and the students will not incur additional cost. The summer of 2001 was the last time a group was in Costa Rica for SST.

Leader Keith Graber Miller noted that leaving Cuba is an emotional transition for the group because of the caring relationships they have developed with their Cuban friends. But, Keith added, “we and our students are really gearing up for Costa Rica now. We think that given the situation, it is the very best possible solution. >We’ve begun referring to ourselves as the ‘Cuba/Rica SST’ group, and we hope to continue to learn about both Cuba and Costa Rica as we compare these two distinct Latin cultures.”

The college has kept parents informed throughout this process. The possibility of leaving Cuba was discussed with parents at the end of last week when it became evident that there was a potential problem in renewing student visas. The college again called parents when the news arrived and answered any questions they had.

Goshen’s program appeared to be the only Christian-based, semester-long program in Cuba that combines independent cultural learning with service to the host society. Only a handful of schools currently offer semester-long units in Cuba – mostly programs involving classes at the University of Havana.

The Graber Millers, with their children, Niles, Mia and Simon, are leading the summer unit in Cuba. Keith is professor of Bible, religion and philosophy at Goshen College.

The group plans to return to the United States from Costa Rica on July 24.

One of the country’s most unique international education programs, SST is in its 35th year. Goshen College was one of the first schools in the United States to include international education as part of its graduation requirements. More than 6,500 students have studied in 19 different countries through the program, which also has units in the Dominican Republic and Senegal this summer.

Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” Kaplan’s “Most Interesting Colleges” guide and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit https://www.goshen.edu/.

Editors: For more information, contact News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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