In the spring of 1999, I competed for the chance to participate in an African study-abroad program. The program was sponsored by The Africa Program, founded in 1994 with a goal of promoting business relationships between Texas and Africa. Recognizing the crucial role that education plays in fostering such an economic venture, The Africa Program offered to send qualified candidates to study in the Senegambia region of West Africa in the summer of 1999. The selection was open to students and faculty of the University of Texas at Arlington, both undergraduate and graduate, and to the community at large.