From the Alaskan wilderness to the Campus Center, all of us representing Semester at Sea strive to convey one important message ‚Äì a study abroad experience matters. Whether it be an afternoon in a Ho Chi Minh City caf√© speaking to a young Vietnamese student. Or an hour spent in a barber’s chair in Cadiz, Spain getting a haircut while explaining the concept of shipboard education. Or just helping a college student determine what they want to get out of going abroad. Communicating something I totally believe in comes naturally to me.
Semester at Sea offers so many opportunities to learn about oneself and the very small world we live in. Learning to open our eyes and minds globally teaches us to do the same locally. It really is true that a newspaper article or that National Geographic magazine on the doctor’s coffee table mean so much more when we have opened our eyes to the world.
No matter a student’s budget, I encourage all students to consider spending a term or summer studying abroad. It can be in Costa Rica, Europe or on a Semester at Sea. Regardless of the destination, you will find rewards during and throughout your life.