Foreign Language students engage with community
MINOT, N.D. – Foreign Language professor Scott Sigel and two of his students recently made a trip to Edgewood Vista, a senior living center in Minot, to visit Ruth Overvold — a retired nurse who worked for 35 years in Nepal.
One of the students, Nishan Adhikari of Nepal, spoke with Overvold, 96, in Nepali.
“Nishan was able to really make Ruth’s face light up when the two conversed in fluent Nepali,” Sigel said.
Sigel had met Overvold through a mutual friend three years ago, and decided to arrange the meeting when Adhikari took his Spanish class and realized he was from Nepal.
“It was a beautiful coincidence,” Adhikari said of his visit with Overvold. “I was able to see an older Nepal, the one she had seen during her time there. All in all, she was happy to talk with me. Before I left she said she was lonesome for Nepal. In many ways I feel the same way.”
Adhikari, a double major in computer science and Spanish, values the opportunity to supplement the language skills he has learned in the classroom.
“Outreach is one way of getting more out of a college education,” Adhikari said, “a way to learn and interact with a larger society.”
Victoria Gordon, a double major in Spanish and communication disorders, joined Sigel and Adhikari on the visit to Edgewood Vista.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 02/05/18 |
