“I believe seeing the world is one of the most important things someone can do to both learn professionally and personally. While going abroad, you learn new perspectives and cultures, which teaches very important life skills like empathy, compassion and inclusion.,” reflected Holland Bell, an international business and international studies major who is currently abroad participating in the Semester at Sea program.
Bell and other students will be spending the entire semester engaging in a unique multi-country program where they live and take university courses aboard a ship while exploring, conducting academic fieldwork, traveling to eleven international ports across the world.
“Gaining international experience is on the most important things for me especially in my career. Gaining knowledge on new cultures around the world gives me many skills needed for an internationally based career,” she said.
During Bell’s program, she will visit Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Vietnam and Hong Kong before the semester is over.
“I have learned about my true love, which is seeing the world and everything it has to offer. I also have learned about the true things that make me happy, one of which is other people. Not having Wi-Fi while on the boat has forced me to socialize most of the day, which has been beyond rewarding. I have realized how happy making deep connections with other people outside of social media or virtually makes me,” said Bell.
Going to several different countries allows these students to experience several different cultures and communities, making for some unforgettable memories.
“I have so many memorable moments already, despite only being on the boat for a month. One of the best memories I've had is swimming in the Mediterranean in Spain, riding camels in Morocco, riding a catamaran at sunset in Lisbon, sailing through the Gibraltar Straight and seeing both Europe and Africa at the same time, and spending all day with my friends on the boat!”