Scholar to visit Africa

By Ryan May
Daily Forty-Niner

Sarina Steinbarth will be the first to admit that she has led an unconventional life.

Traveling the world and visiting over 20 countries, Steinbarth has been witness to countless cultures and value systems, educated in the classroom of the world.  Now, this knowledge and experience accompany her as she takes the next step.

An honor student at Cal State Long Beach, Steinbarth, 20, has been selected to spend the summer in South Africa as part of an internship program awarded by the Amy Biehl Foundation.
"South Africa positively stood out to me," Steinbarth said when considering her previous travels. "It was just this magical place."

Named after a Stanford graduate and Fulbright Scholar who was stoned to death in South Africa in 1993, the Amy Biehl Foundation works to prevent violence in South Africa and the United States by providing educational and recreational programs for youth, according to information released by the foundation.

"They killed -- they physically killed -- a major advocate for them and, in doing so, brought all of the violence to the limelight," Steinbarth said of Biehl's murder.

Originally from Nevada City, Steinbarth accepted a presidential scholarship at CSULB after considering nearly 15 other schools including UC Santa Barbara, Yale and Princeton.

Never attending the same school for more than two years in her early education, Steinbarth was given the freedom to choose her own path by the people she admires the most, her parents. Steinbarth regards their sense of adventure and open minds as a contributing factor to her success and that of her younger brother.

"Realizing the kind of upbringing that they allowed my brother and I to have, the traveling, the alternative living and the education that they were into ... they followed their hearts and I think it led to good kids, independent thinkers," Steinbarth said.

South Africa continues to attract the world's attention as it struggles with the remnants of apartheid. Translated as "apartness," apartheid was the practice of segregation between government-defined races in housing, education and many other aspects of life. The South African government began overturning apartheid laws in 1990, promoting the transition to a government led by the black majority. From this process emerged a permanent nonracial constitution in 1997.

"On the outside, it looks as if blacks are sure doing well. They've got a black president and what not, but on the inside ... it hasn't even been 10 years," Steinbarth said.  "You're talking about major scars and bruises and there's a lot of animosity towards that.

"But that's why I'm going, I want to help heal some of these wounds and mend some of these problems."

Although taking comfort in the security the foundation will provide, Steinbarth remains aware of the problems she will have to be wary of and possibly confront.

"Life is a risk," Steinbarth said. "You'll be reacted to the way you react to others. It's a calculated risk."

Sarina Steinbarth