Why support Semester at Sea on Day of Giving, Thursday March 9? The answer is easy: to give students from all over the world the opportunity to expand their education and broaden their horizons. A voyage with Semester at Sea takes less than four months, but the impacts last a lifetime.
Here is what a few of our alumni had to say about how their time with Semester at Sea changed their lives.
“Semester at Sea is a lesson on global perspective that begins the day you board the ship and evolves with you and those you encounter daily. It is an honor to be an alumni of SAS.” , Nancy Visenberg, Fall ’74
“The world is smaller now, a lot smaller, The foreign feels familiar. I have a desire for experiences now, not stuff. Semester at Sea has changed the way I look at the world and my own life.” , Eric Gulino, Fall ’06
“Life-changing? That is too small a word for this experience. Strangers become family. Curiosity led to experience led to immersion. All of it led home. Home is just a bigger place than we ever imagined.” , Brooke (Gershon) McGovern, Fall ’89
“I would not be the person I am today had I not sailed on SAS. The voyage may have ended, but the footprints of this experience and amazing people I have met will be carried in my heart forever.” , Vinny Karn, Spring ’13
“Semester at Sea gave me a much broader perspective on life and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about some part of my voyage.” , Brian Winslow, Fall ’03
This Day of Giving, Thursday, March 9,, also doubles as Neptune Day for the Spring ’17 Voyage. Neptune Day is a maritime tradition that dates back hundreds of years. As students celebrate on-board the MV World Odyssey, we’re asking alumni, parents, and friends to begin their own tradition by making a gift this Day of Giving, and help secure a global perspective for future students, faculty, and Lifelong Learners.
“I first started giving to Semester at Sea shortly after my first voyage, and I think that was something instilled in me by my parents, that it’s important to give back if you have the opportunity to do so. I wanted to be involved in the program in some capacity, and so giving monetarily provides the opportunity for other students to participate in a program that really is a life-changing experience. It’s something that I was able to realize the benefits of the program, and I want others to as well.” , Conrad Herrmann, Spring ’83 and Spring ’84 Voyager, Fall ’16 Lifelong Learner
“I got to school in St. Paul Minnesota, and I sailed on the Spring ’16 voyage. It really opened my eyes to see what’s all around me, and not just in my small town that I grew up in. It really helped me appreciate other cultures and realize that we’re all the same, even though me might live in different countries and believe in different things. I decided to give because Semester at Sea really changed my life. Even as a college student and not having a lot of money, I want everybody to be able to go on this voyage, and I want to make sure that it keeps happening in years to come. I just want somebody else to be able to have this life-changing experience.” , Stephanie Starks, Spring ’16
For more about Semester at Sea’s Day of Giving, visit give.semesteratsea.org.
