Brock's Adventures studying Zulu in South Africa

By Brock Boyd, Marketing Undergraduate Student
HU Zulu in South Africa (HUZISA) - Summer 2023

Sawubona! My name is Brock Boyd. I am a junior marketing major from Prince George County, Virginia, and I was blessed to participate in the HUZISA 2023 study abroad program. I, along with a few other students, spent six weeks in South Africa, immersing ourselves in Zulu language and culture.

Adjusting to international travel without my parents was a big step for me. Every week of the trip brought new challenges for me to face as I learned more about myself and how to adjust to life's sudden changes. While in South Africa, I met the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety, stayed with a host family in the Umlazi township, and embarked on my first African safari. The people I encountered were so loving and welcoming to my peers and me. I never saw myself traveling to Africa at 20 years old, and to do so for free through the FLAS Fellowship was truly a blessing. 

Leaving South Africa, I brought with me a new perspective of what it means to have love for my community and value for the people that I cross paths with every day. Wherever I go, I will always take the continent of Africa with me.