While Trinity’s physical borders may only cover a 125-acre plot of land, to nearly half of the student body the quest for knowledge is a global adventure. Nearly half of Trinity’s students study abroad at least once while in college in one of Trinity’s own programs spanning from Madrid to Shanghai or through organizations that partner with Trinity to provide even more options. As the spring semester begins, Trinity’s goal for its new crop of international learners is that they bring back new global perspectives, vibrant culture, language exploration and incomparable memories.
While abroad, students are not only learning how to adapt to new cultures or ways of life, but also to an entirely new sense of independence. While students are abroad there is no “Trinity bubble” or many of the functional aspects of Trinity life that make navigating independence easier.
Abby Power, junior political science, Spanish and global Latinx studies triple-major, recently came back from her semester abroad in Spain. With a Spanish major, Power said that her goal for studying abroad was to further her language acquisition, but she also found herself having to navigate a new approach to higher education.
“I definitely feel like I had to be more of an adult,” Power said. “We had to commute to school. So we had to be on time in that aspect, not just roll out of bed and go from our dorm room. Of course, we had to navigate the world and a foreign language … which is a little bit of a challenge, but I really enjoyed it.”
Though Trinity offers a variety of faculty-led study abroad programs, some students opt to study abroad through a variety of external programs. Kien Jimmy Phan, junior international studies major, recently came back from his semester abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Phan participated in a program with the School for International Training focusing on public health in urban environments. While abroad, Phan noted that he expanded his Spanish speaking skills, participated in Argentina’s vibrant nightlife and gained a newfound global perspective on public health.
“I was picked up out of Texas and put in a completely different place,” Phan said. “I was living someone else’s life for a whole semester in a completely new country where I didn’t know anyone, and every single day I was trying new things, learning about Argentinian culture and just being super independent.”
Demi Durham, junior geoscience major, went abroad last semester through the Council on International Educational Exchange. Durham participated in a block program based out of Dublin, Copenhagen and Rome, traveling to a variety of countries throughout her semester abroad.
“One of my favorite memories was being able to walk by historic buildings everyday on my way to class and around the city,” Durham said. “My program setup gave me the ability to travel a lot throughout my semester, which I took full opportunity of.”
As Durham adjusts back to life at Trinity, she reflects on the unique opportunity studying abroad provided for her. Durham encourages all students to go abroad as it may be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I would highly recommend studying abroad to people because you get to experience other perspectives and ways of life,” Durham said. “My biggest takeaway from abroad has to be cherishing my friendships more and spending more time with people I love.”