Newcomers: Kaelyn McBride Trades Africa's East Coast for America's East Coast

By Margaret Starr Lafferty

On the eastern coast of Africa, in the heart of the Kenyan wilderness, there is a boarding school. Rift Valley Academy houses high school students of many different nationalities. A barb wire fence surrounds the perimeter to keep out wild animals. On the eastern coast of America, on the north shore of Massachusetts, Gordon College houses students from all of the country, as well as internationals. There is no barb wire fence to keep out predators. Kaelyn McBride, a new student at Gordon College, reflects on the difference between the two schools as she tells of her time living in Africa.

New student, McBride, with junior standing at Gordon, is a history major with a political studies minor. Since she was four years old, McBride lived in Africa, attending school in Tanzania, the country south of Kenya, until her junior year of high school. She then decided to go to Rift Valley Academy, surrounded by African wilderness, McBride made many close friends. “My best friend was from Finland,” McBride said. “I had another good friend from Korea and a few American friends.”

After graduating from high school, McBride returned to the States, became a student at Westmont College, in California. She soon realized it wasn't a good fit and transferred to Gordon College for the Fall 2009.

So, why Gordon? “I love the academics at Gordon, the professors and the classes. There’s not that too cool for school attitude that there was at Westmont,” said McBride. “I like the location too, and the freedom of no fence.”

However, she notices big differences between Gordon, Westmont, and Rift Valley Academy. “Rift Valley was so international. I miss the diversity. I was friends with everyone from everywhere,” said McBride. “Compared to Westmont, Gordon is more diverse,” she said with a laugh, “but that’s not saying a lot.” McBride comments on diversity at Gordon saying, “We’re color blind, yet we still know there is a difference. This is foreign to me, because I grew up with everyone being the same, no matter their nationality .”