Lynn Wloszek

Norma Nollet did not spend her spring break drinking and partying — she was too busy learning culture and engineering in Mexico.

The Roseville junior was one of eight CMU students who visited Toluca, Mexico during spring break. The trip was part of a foreign exchange program that the university has participated in since the fall of 1999 with the Monterrey Institute of Technology.

Nollet said the experience was great but a bit of a culture shock.

“What shocked me most was the way they drove,” she said. “They drove through red lights. They drove very fast. … We got in a bus accident, a fender bender, the first day there, but nobody was hurt.”

The industrial and engineering technology students spent their days learning about engineering and Mexican culture at the institute, a private college 45 minutes west of Mexico City. In the evenings, the students toured Mexico City, visiting the presidential palace and dining out.

Each student stayed with a host family with similar interests and backgrounds during the trip, and often spent time with these families in the evenings.

“The people were hospitable. The food was great. The weather was great. It was a wonderful time,” said David Lopez, industrial and engineering technology associate professor. The industrial and engineering technology department sponsored the trip.

One of Nollet’s favorite projects was the assembly of a Lego car, which students had to put together in a certain amount of time. The goal was to build an assembly line to put the car together quickly, Nollet said.

She said she plans to take that manufacturing and teamwork knowledge back to her work at Central.

Lopez said the city of Toluca is comparable to Detroit because people recognize both cities as being major automobile manufacturers. The institute was interested in finding a university in Michigan with ties to auto manufacturers, Lopez said. The school contacted CMU, which signed an agreement for a foreign exchange program, he said.

Toluca is the only city in the world that produces Chrysler’s PT Cruiser, Lopez said.

While the students had a good time, some said they wished they could have stayed longer.

“I wish I had more time to be down there,” Miller said. “A week is not enough — although I learned a lot in a week, I would rather have gone for a semester.”

Monterrey students visited CMU in the fall during homecoming week. Both Monterrey and CMU students built cardboard boats, which people raced across Rose Pond during homecoming activities.

Nollet said she feels all students should study abroad at least once.

“I would go next year,” she said. “It was a different experience for me, and I’m glad I went, because it’s good to study abroad.”

E-mail the author: Ben RayCentral Michigan Life