A group of students took Anderson University’s pillar of great academics across borders when they traveled abroad over Spring Break.
For some students, this was their first time out of the country; for a few, it might have been their first flight.
Traveling abroad stretches us and changes our perspective. Being from a country where a 200-year-old building is considered ancient and exploring a thousand-year-old cathedral, for example. Learning how to get around using public transportation—taking the bus, train or the Metro (subway). Or getting close to a glacier. Perhaps walking through a rainforest and seeing animals that up to now were only seen in a zoo. Or tasting different foods. And all the time you’re making memories as you get to know other AU students for the first time.
AU Abroad is the centerpiece of a full-semester, 3 credit course offering opportunities to travel internationally with Anderson University faculty and classmates while engaging in meaningful intercultural learning experiences.
This year, students traveled to England, France, Iceland, the Netherlands and Panama.
Travel is coordinated through the Anderson University Center for Global Engagement, which helps students explore opportunities for educational travel abroad that enhance their worldview.Altogether the center offers more than 70 Study Abroad programs.
England
A group led by Professors Cara Wood and Jessica Johnson retraced the steps of William Shakespeare, attending a play at the Globe Theatre and touring Stratford-Upon-Avon. They also explored the history and culture of London, seeing Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, watching the Changing of the Guard and visiting nearby Windsor Castle. They even took in “Paddington The Musical” at London’s fabled Savoy Theatre.
“I enjoyed being able to watch West End shows that inspired me in my current career path and my major,” said Alexandra Norton, a musical theatre major and dance minor who was on her second AU Abroad trip. Last year Norton went to Germany and Austria.
“I have been blessed to go to London three times with Anderson University students. Each time was a wonderful experience,” Wood said.
“It amazed me how there were such old sites in the middle of modern areas,” said Elizabeth Bailey, a 3D studies major and photography minor. “The architecture and art of London is amazing.”
“When you travel outside of the country, it is an experience like no other that I believe everyone should have,” Norton added. “Some of my fondest memories of Anderson will be from studying abroad and the new confidence it has given me.”
France
Professor Karry Elson of the Anderson University Center for Cybersecurity led a trip to France where students toured Paris landmarks that included the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and alsovisits to nearby French towns.
“It’s a humbling experience to see all this history that so goes back much further than we did,” said Thomas Cain, a cybersecurity major. Visiting an acquantance of Professor Elson who lives in Limoges, Cain was impressed by how they lived in the same family home that went back for more than a dozen generations.
Memorable for Amelia Sprawls, a political science major, was visiting Oradour-sur-Glane, which memorializes the townspeople Nazis massacred there during World War II.
“As someone who’s really interested in history… Just seeing those things—not just reading them in textbooks—was really valuable for me. Just being with our whole group there in silence for two hours and just hearing about the history there was truly eye opening,” Sprawls said, adding, “Going on the trip… honestly, I think it served me well because not only seeing a new country, seeing new people for the first time, I got to make some new friendships… that was very beneficial for me. And now that I see some of those students back on campus, it’s really nice to make those new connections here at Anderson, too.”
A memory that Olivia Clark, a neuroscience major, will cherish, happened atop the Eiffel Tower. As they were taking in views of Paris, a rainbow appeared over the city. Clark added that she adjusted to modes of transportation different from what she was accustomed to.
“It’s overwhelming at first, kind of a culture shock,” Clark said. “You get off the plane, onto the train, and everyone’s packed in, not a lot of personal space. But also, everyone was really nice. I think that was a nice surprise.”
Iceland
Professors Jer Nelsen and Luke Anspach of the South Carolina School of the Arts explored Iceland’s geology, history, architecture, art, literature and culture. Their itinerary included a glacier hike on Sólheimajökull with crampons and ice axes, visits to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach, Þingvellir National Park, the geothermal sites of the Golden Circle, Reynisfjarablack sand beach, Hallgrímskirkja and Harpa in Reykjavík, the Viking World Museum, the Snorri Sturluson homestead at Snorrastofa, and the Reykjanes Peninsula. Students also experienced the Northern Lights and had time for exploration of Reykjavík, the capital.
Throughout the trip, students used a field guide designed by the professors to record observations and reflections, building a framework for understanding what they were seeing in real time.
“It’s really cool to be up there just on the giant pack of ice and seeing the expanse of the mountains below and very unique,” said Heidi Dillow, a graphic design major. “I think main highlights of the trip, were very just getting the chance to spend so much time outside in creation… Also, it allowed me to learn a lot about myself and like how I go about forming relationships, how I go about talking about things that I’m processing or learning through creation and through what God has to say to me.”
The Netherlands
Students led by Drs. Kim Whitehead and John Frazier of the Anderson University College of Business toured the Netherlands, learning about its rich maritime trade history and unique culture,as well as its ages-old experience of protecting land from flooding by the sea. They explored Amsterdam, Rotterdam and the unique Dutch countryside. Standing among the centuries-old windmills, Dr. Whitehead recalled, it was impossible not to reflect on the beauty and ingenuity found in God’s creation and human creativity.
“I’d always found the time period of when the Dutch were such a global trading power, the Dutch East India Company, very interesting. So it was neat to me to see where these events took place and then also seeing the effects of World War 2,” said Jane Taylor, a mathematics major. “I think being immersed in the culture and going into stores and into restaurants were really special. On a day off that we had as a group, we got to go into a small town called Utrecht. It was really neat being in a not-so-touristy town and to see the culture there and see how welcoming everyone was.”
While there, they also had dinner with Anderson College of Business and Economics alumna Danielle Atkinson Johnson, who lives and works as an accountant in Amsterdam.
Panama
Dr. Joni Criswell, Oscar Gonzalez and Carrie Koenigstein of the College of Arts and Sciences led a group that explored rainforest ecosystems in Panama, visited an indigenous communityand took a boat ride on Gatun Lake, passing ships making their way throudh the Panama Canal.
According to Dr. Criswell, visiting the Emberá Ella Puru Indigenous Community was one of the most memorable experiences, highlighted by a traditional welcome. The group gained insight into how the Emberá people balance cultural preservation with economic survival through ecotourism. This visit provided critical perspective on indigenous land rights, cultural tourism, and the complex relationship between conservation and indigenous sovereignty.
The group also learned about Panama’s pre-Columbian history at the El Caño Archaeological Site, an active dig where archaeological research is ongoing.
Witnessing more recent history, they watched as massive ships passed through the more than century old canal that joins the Atlantic and Pacific, while learning about the human and environmental costs of this twentieth-century engineering marvel.
They also spent several days exploring marine ecosystems in the rural coastal Pedasi Province. At Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge and Isla Canas Wildlife Refuge, they snorkeled at one of the Gulf of Panama’s largest coral reefs, observing the marine biodiversity, which included tropical fish. They also saw free-roaming iguanas and a horde of hermit crabs. They also explored unique volcanic coastal formations, including black sand beaches.
Panama was graphic design major Bailey Perritte’s first time leaving the country—an experience made especially meaningful by going off the tourist track.
“As a design student, the art culture was unbeatable and in our free time we found a branding experience museum that shows how local products were made,” Perritte said. “The people we met and things we saw were life changing and it would not have been possible without AU Abroad. God created so much for us to see, and this trip just allowed me to see another side of His great design.”
Additional Travel
In addition to AU Abroad trips, there was a mission trip to London co-led by Associate Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students Dr. Jonathan Gropp and Assistant Director of Campus Ministries Kaitlyn Jenkins.
Music Professor Derrick Cordoba led a trip where the Jazz Fusion Ensemble from the South Carolina School of the Arts traveled to Vienna to perform at an exclusive, invitation-only music conference.
Reflections
Students shared some of what they learned when they returned.
“I think it’s good to get out of what we are so comfortable with in the U.S.,” said Olivia Clark, a cybersecurity major who traveled to France. “I think we take a lot of things for granted here… Just to see how people live and what their day-to-day life looks like and trying their food… public transport and all of that—it shows you how big the world is.”
Jane Taylor, a mathematics major who went to the Netherlands, said, “Just being able to walk around the city, seeing the big buildings and the beautiful architecture, was astounding. Youcan’t experience that fully by screen. You can’t experience the size and the smells and the sounds that you would experience by walking through the streets.”
Heidi Dillow, a graphic design major who traveled to Iceland, said, “Putting boots on the ground and being in a space where you can actually experience something is a whole lot different than just reading about it, especially in a context where nature and the environment is such a large part of the culture,”
John-Luke Grob, who also traveled to Iceland, said, “It opens up your understanding of what the human race is, but also for Iceland specifically, the overwhelming and sublime,mountainscapes, waterfalls, beaches, valleys and cliffs, there again remind me how small I am in this world. Looking up at the stars and Northern Lights reminds me even more about how small I am within the grand cosmos of the universe. Yet through all that, God knows me perfectly. He cares for me, despite being this small, insignificant speck in the universe.”
Dr. Whitehead said, “Travel has a way of turning learning into something unforgettable. Watching our students take it all in—the landscape, the history, the conversations, and the wonder of it all—was a great reminder of why experiences like this matter so much.”
“There are so many different things that you gain from going out of the country—getting to taste new food, having conversations with people that are from these countries, seeing all of these things in real life, getting to smell how the rainforest smells or how the food smells at an authentic restaurant,” said Jalyn Jeanes. “The experiences themselves shape you.”
The Anderson University Center for Global Engagement
Anderson University offers a broad array of study abroad programs including summer, semester, and short-term options. Students can explore their options by contacting a study abroad advisor for assistance. With more than 70 programs available across 25 countries, the Center for Global Engagement continues to make international education an accessible part of an Anderson University degree. Details about AU Abroad can be found online here.