SANTA CLARITA- Packed and ready for their studying-abroad trip to Central America, the participating College of the Canyons students will have something else to look forward to besides earning school credit during their 12-day stay in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

 

Violeta Chamorro, president of Nicaragua from 1990 to 1996 and the first female president in Latin America, will meet the group of students in her own home in Managua for a personal interview.

 

Not only is it an honor, but it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students studying the social and political dynamics of the country, said Claudia Acosta, department chair of foreign languages at College of the Canyons who will accompany the students on the trip.

 

Chamorro is a Nicaraguan newspaper publisher and politician, who with strong U.S. support, was elected to be candidate for the National Opposition Union (UNO) in 1989, winning the presidency from David Ortega Saavedra. As president, Chamorro brought greater stability and democracy to the country, improved US relations, attempted to reverse many of the Sandinista¹s policies, and promoted a free-market economy and press freedom. Chamorro faced various domestic issues such as rising unemployment, strikes and obstruction in Parliament from the Sandinista Liberation Front (FSLN), which remained the largest party.  Chamorro now lives a quiet life in Nicaragua.

 

I think this is an amazing opportunity for our students to have a first-hand encounter with living history, said Sue Bozman dean of communication, marketing and external relations at College of the Canyons.

 

I wish every student would take the opportunity to study abroad because it is one of the most maturing experiences anyone can have. The group of students also received an invitation from Dr. Julio Valle, secretary of culture, to an event at the National Palace in Managua.

 

For more information about this Central America study-abroad trip and the special meeting with Violeta Chamorro contact Claudia Acosta at (661) 362-3530 or visit the college¹s website at www.canyons.edu