The world is a book
2011-03-09 14:53:30
Mount Allison University students studied abroad during a Semester At Sea
SACKVILLE, NB — Mount Allison University students Daphne Rodzinyak of Trenton, ON and Gregory Sharp, of North Vancouver, BC have just returned from sailing around the world under a program called Semester At Sea. The international relations (IR) students took courses aboard ship and visited 12 countries. The trip included a special guest speaker Nobel Laureate and Mount Allison honorary degree holder, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The Semester at Sea is a non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Virginia. Students from around the world take courses from leading faculty and international experts, volunteer in local communities, and explore parts of the world most of us just dream of seeing. The theme of this particular voyage was National Identity in a Globalized World.
Although the two took courses such as “Global studies – The quest for peace, prosperity, and preservation” towards their IR programs at Mount Allison, they also had some very exotic experiences. These included hiking through the Atlas Mountains and staying with the indigenous Berber people, taking part in a yoga retreat in India, and volunteering at a school and orphanage for the deaf in Vietnam. Before they went ashore at each place, they were given a diplomatic briefing by an American diplomat stationed in that country and a cultural briefing by a student from the country.
"This voyage really emphasized the fact that learning is not restricted to the classroom. It can come in so many different forms, from so many different people, and most of the time you don't even realize it’s happening," said Sharp.
In Ghana, Rodzinyak and Sharp visited the buildings that held thousands of slaves before they were shipped across the Atlantic. “This gave me a view of a different side of the slave trade that we are not exposed to in school. While many African Americans don’t know their ancestors, I now realize many native Ghanaians don’t know the descendents, who are their relatives,” said Rodzinyak.
One of the best parts of the voyage for them both was the people they met. With up to a week in each location, they had the opportunity to meet locals and fellow travelers. There was also a close shipboard community and many of the 600 students were also studying IR in universities across the U.S. “Traveling will never be the same," said Sharp.
Rodzinyak even had a conversation on deck with Archbishop Tutu. Did they discuss their Mount Allison connection? “No, we talked about yoga and the benefits of walking,” said Rodzinyak.
Rodzinyak received a full scholarship from National Society of High School Scholars, an Institute of Shipboard Education Merit Scholarship, and work-study program to finance the program. Sharp also received a significant scholarship from the Institution for Shipboard Education. They were also helped by a Mount Allison Global Connect travel bursary.
For more information on the Semester at Sea Program, visit www.semesteratsea.org. You can also contact Rodzinyak (drrodzinyak@mta.ca) as she is now the Global Ambassador for the Program.
Photo caption: Mount Allison University student Daphne Rodzinyak of Trenton, ON recently participated in the Semester at Sea exchange program.
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