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Profile of a Past Experimenter

Oliver Cashin
Hometown: Washington, DC
Year: 2006

Why did you choose to participate on an Experiment program?
I chose to participate in this particular EIL program for many reasons. I have grown up traveling all over the world, mostly in Africa and in Europe. I felt it was time to explore something more close to home, and yet equally as foreign to me as somewhere across the Atlantic. On a more personal note, my mother grew up in New Mexico and I wanted to see some of the culture that influenced where she grew up.

What was your most meaningful experience while on your Experiment program?
My most meaningful experience was without a doubt spending time with my host family. My host family was farther out than all the others, so I was very isolated from the EIL group I had come with. But I have never felt less lonely in my life. A little out of place of course, but never unwelcome. My family desperately wanted to show and teach me everything they could about their life and culture. Upon my arrival I was thrown into their way of life… literally. When I arrived their kids threw me into the bull pin to wrestle and eventually ride bulls. It was fantastic.

What was the highlight?
The time I spent with my family was fantastic, but the group was great too. I really enjoyed meeting some of the kids and seeing where they came from. And our leader, Nina, was just as much a part of the group as any of the kids. She was really only an authority leader by default. Eventually you could see all of the kids start to take on their own roles in the group, especially during the camping stages. While Nina, directed us, most of the kids took on leadership positions of their own.

How did you feel about The Experiment's immersion-based approach?
I think it is not only an essential part of the experience, but that it is the experience. I have learned from my travels that in order to fully experience a culture, you must separate yourself from your own. Without your group and culture to fall back on, the only direction to move is forward. You have to learn about the culture in order to take part in their way of life. And even if you don’t you will learn just by being there.

How did your group contribute to the experience?
We had a very international group, mostly Americans, but a boy from Spain, and another from Turkey. The group had to learn to communicate and work together. The boy from Spain didn’t speak English very well, so those of us that could speak Spanish had to help him to understand what we were doing. Eventually, the group came to a common understanding and developed a day to day system in which everyone played a role, such as Katrina, who woke up at 6 AM everyday naturally. She was our "alarm clock."

In what way did the experience result in personal growth that is reflected in your current life?
For me it was a recognition of diversity within this country. Not just in terms of race, religion, or culture, but in terms of a whole nation within this one. Also, the Navajo religion, which preaches constant respect of nature and others deeply, affected me.

If you had one thing to say about why a prospective student should choose EIL, what would it be?
The EIL focus on experiencing the culture of a place in a day-to-day sense is what really made the difference for me. If you want to see what day to day life is like for people of a culture, this is the way to do it. Don’t be afraid of the whole host family experience, meet it head on and welcome it. Because it is only through that that you will really see what people’s lives are like.

What advice would you give to a student about to embark on an Experiment summer program?
Be open, excited, and DO NOT BE SCARED. The kids who did not get as much out of the experience as others kept to themselves and didn’t interact with the culture or show curiosity in it. Also learn all you can about the kids in your group, they could become lifelong friends. Finally when with your host family, do all you can to take part in their life. Ask if you can help with anything, what they are cooking, and what life is like for them. DO NOT BE SHY TO ASK QUESTIONS. They have accepted you into your home so that they can teach you about their life. They will be disappointed if you don’t show interest in their life.

In today's world, why is it important for young people to consider participating on an Experiment program?
In today’s world, geographic distances that separate cultures mean less and less. As the world becomes smaller it does not pay to be a person who neither knows, nor cares about anything outside of the county they grew up in. Already, cultural integration can be seen all over the world. Spanish is spoken in most of southern California.

But more importantly, it is a great thing that EIL can facilitate kids all over the world to go to places they never thought they would go. And you do it not just as a tourist who looks at the buildings and scenery, then goes home without actually learning anything about the people. You do it as a young adult who gets the chance to go into a culture. Not just a country, but you immerse yourself in the culture and the way of life of people there. It is a chance that no one should pass up.