Keystone grad wins video competition

Nicole Barrasse, a Dunmore native and 2008 Keystone College graduate, has been selected as the 2009 Student Diplomat by NAFSA: Association of International Educators and the Abroad View Foundation.

Barrasse traveled to India after graduating from Keystone as part of the college's Study Abroad Program. She documented the trip and submitted a video of her experiences to be considered for the 2009 Student Diplomat competition. From the dozens of entries that NAFSA had received, her video received 1,300 votes, and combined with the votes from a panel of judges, she was selected for the award.

Since she was just a little girl growing up in Dunmore, Barrasse wanted to travel abroad. She first studied abroad as a junior at Keystone in 2007, when she traveled to Spain.

With the guidance of Assistant Professor Susan Constantine, her academic advisor at Keystone, Barrasse decided to travel once again, this time to India.

Constantine had lived in India for several years and shared her experiences with Barrasse, providing the knowledge and confidence she needed.

After graduating in 2008 with a degree in Communication Arts and Humanities, Barrasse's dream trip to India became a reality. She researched various programs until she found the right one for her, The Learning from Ladakh Project, through the ISEC (International Society for Ecology and Culture).

For a month, the Keystone College graduate lived in a traditional self-sustaining culture where no English was spoken and inhabitants lived solely off of the land. Overall, Barrasse spent three months in India from June to September, 2009. 

"It was unlike any living situation I had ever been in. For a month I helped milk the cows, take the cattle to graze, weed and water the garden. I helped build a house, churn butter and make apricot seed oil," said Nicole. "Every moment was spent learning about the culture and what it truly meant to be self-sufficient as a society. I never felt as connected to the Earth as I did in Ladakh."

After the Ladakh project ended, Barrasse traveled from the Himalayas to Delhi, and further south, ending her trip at Chennai. For two months she backpacked, alone, experiencing the many different aspects of India, including ancient temples, crowded markets, and the many spectacular views from the beaches and mountains to the tropical jungles that India has to offer.

"This experience surpassed my expectations and made me feel complete," she said, adding she plans to return to India someday.

To view Barrasse's award winning video, visit this link: http://www.nafsa.org/publicpolicy/default.aspx?id=16649