The Summer 2012 voyage has officially begun and it’s time to tally up the numbers and give you all an idea of the immensely diverse community aboard the MV Explorer. This community will be living and learning together for 62 days in 10 cities and 9 countries.

Onboard we have 539 students from 15 nationalities. The student body is approximately 75% female and 25% male.  We have a diverse range of college years; freshmen (15%), sophomores (38%), juniors (34%), and seniors (13%). With an average GPA of 3.31 these students are sure to perform well in class.

I’m excited to meet new people, not only on the ship but all over the world.
Jessica Baggs from Texas Tech

Just over one third of students are from California, Virginia and Pennsylvania respectively.

I’m excited to just see the world for myself. I get to form my own opinion about each country rather than the news, tabloids, and history books being my only source of knowledge.
Jessica Zeni from Michigan State University

The top ten home institutions represented are:

1. University of Virginia
2. University of Colorado
3. University of Oregon
4. Colorado State University
5. University of California Santa Barbara
6. Chapman University
7. Pennsylvania State University
8. Vanderbilt University
9. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
10. Ohio State University

There are 33 faculty on board of which 61% are male, and 30 staff members of which 67% are female. There are 57 family members of which 31 are children.

 I’m excited to ride a camel and visit the Sahara Dessert.
Megan Klementik, Asst. Field Office Coordinator

We have a total of 9 lifelong learners, two of which are kicking off their retirement with Semester at Sea.

 I’m excited to explore Dubrovnik because it’s the Mediterranean the way it used to be.
Al Calarco, Lifelong Learners Coordinator

The crew on board comes from 20 nationalities and total 182 persons.

 I’m excited for ten days crossing the Atlantic.
Tomasz Mierzwinski, Staff Captain

The voyage is well on its way as the ship crosses the Atlantic Ocean.  Classes are in full swing, students are finally getting settled-in and the excitement is mounting for Barcelona. Make sure you follow the entire voyage here on News From the Helm and on our Facebook and official twitter page.  Ever wonder what the MV Explorer is thinking?  Follow her voyage here.