On Mar 6, GovState premiered a film of their most recent Study Abroad experience as a part of the Chicago Southland International Film Festival. Named “Medaase,” this film features the students and staff who came together to organize a trip to Ekumpoano, Ghana, and volunteer with the aid of the Global Brigades organization.

The film was previewed by a reception, where we gained an opportunity to interview some of the attendees. One was Xavier Thompson, who participated in the Study Abroad program to Ghana and presented a Spoken Word work called “Building/Progress.” He spoke about the feeling of being present in Ekumpoano, and their boosted camaraderie despite not knowing much about each other. “I think I can speak for everyone when I say we felt reborn,” he said, “reenergized coming back home. The experience was life-changing: we left here as strangers and came back as a family, and in just ten days? That’s unheard of.”

After the reception we had the opportunity to go in the university theater room and watch the full Medaase movie, and it was amazing: the lighting, the sound audio, the coloring, and getting the chance to see my peers and staff members on this wonderful journey, and for it to be shot, filmed, and directed pre-trip, during the trip, and after the trip post-interview by students shows they have a long career in this profession.

After the film a Q&A for the film was hosted so the audience had the chance to hear several voices stand out in capturing just how deeply the Ghana trip resonated with those involved. Dr. Nicole M. Bing, one of the program’s main driving forces, reflected on what it was that drew her into this kind of work. A prior trip to Ghana in 2019 was a turning point; seeing the efforts by Global Bridges to aid the communities, it reshaped her sense of purpose entirely.

For student Kwabena Robinson, this trip carried a deep personal feeling beyond the program itself. Traveling to Ekumpoano gave him the rare opportunity to meet his mom’s side of the family for the first time, including grandparents whom he had never met. “It meant a lot,” he said,” because I went so long without that side of the family.”

Student AJ recalled playing Marco Polo with the locals and his peers. Something about such a simple moment being something he brought up to us; you can tell that despite the hard work they had to do, it was equally just as fun in AJ’s words, “We definitely made a connection with the people out there.” Fellow student Jocelyn described herself as not being the most extroverted person, serving as one of the two brigade leaders and by the end, she left the experience describing, “After this experience, I’m more open to putting myself in leadership positions on campus, so that was really impactful for me.”

Dr. Marlon Cummings spoke to the place in the program structure. Participants were encouraged to process what they’d seen, who they’d connected with, and what they were carrying inside them. Something that was a sign the learning didn’t stop behind the camera.

At a later date, we also interviewed Tiyen Simmons, one of the 2 main directors of the film. As it turns out, “Medaase” was planned to be used as a promotion, but the experiences of being in that area, learning of history that is rich in great achievements and terrible tragedies, they felt a need to produce a full film from it. “Sometimes the best learning comes from outside our walls. A lot of times, we might feel like silos, where we are in these confined species, but when I was out there, it just felt like.. I learned so much about humanity, about the human experience, about myself.”

Wrapping up, we both felt a strong immersion with not only the film but also the area of Ghana. Studying Abroad isn’t an experience the majority do but after seeing this, it filled us with encouragement to potentially take that step ourselves someday. If you’re on the fence about studying abroad, let this be your sign and do it. From everything we’ve heard, it’s a pretty great time.

The Film Festival will be premiering several short films from April 9-11, 2026. More details available here