New Zealander Gains Confidence By Ruth Gutierrez Carlene Baird is a natural when it comes to international exposure. She w a s born in Nelson, N e w Zealand, in 1967 and described her h o m e country as being an "absolutely gorgeous" place. She has also lived in the Philippines and Australia with her parents on their missionary ventures. N o w she is studying in the U.S. Carlene, a senior elementary education major, is working on her student teaching. Her first impression of the U.S. w a s exciting. "I hadn't seen stores, like with cereal boxes," she said. "I'm used to seeing only three or four cereals, because they don't eat a lot of cereal in N e w Zealand." Americans like to socialize while studying hard in school, but it is not so in the "Kiwi" country. Students do not normally enter a university after high school, as high school graduates do in the U.S. "Either you have to be exceedingly rich to go to a university, or you have to be extremely intelligent," Carlene said. "Most go out into the world, and that is the norm." Photo By Vangie Carlene likes the social and personal contacts the Carlene attributes her international exposure to making her the person she is today - confident and teachers have with their students. She gives credit to culturally oriented. "I loved it and I wouldn't trade it her teachers in the Philippines for motivating her to become an elementary school teacher. Her family has for the world," she said. "It has opened u p m y mind to so m a n y things." also played a big part in her life.
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