The world’s a classroom for SMC students

In the header photo, a group that made a Shakespeare-focused study trip to England in recent weeks relaxes on the steps of Wroxton College in Wroxton Village (photo by Danielle Joubert ’20). The photo above shows the group making a study trip to Quebec City with their tour guide, the rapper Webster.

Several Saint Michael’s students embarked right after Commencement with faculty leaders on deeply meaningful academic and personal adventures through study abroad, while many more anticipate longer overseas study experiences during the coming Fall and Spring semesters.

A group of volunteers through the Campus Ministry MOVE program also recently volunteered at the Edmundite Southern Missions in Selma, AL.

Peggy Imai, the College’s director of Study Abroad, says this coming academic year’s fall study-abroad cohort is a relatively small group of 24 who will be “heading to far corners of the world with goals of improving language skills, taking courses that might not be offered at Saint Michael’s and experiencing cultures in uniquely different ways.” These students are participating in university programs (including the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics) as well as a number of field-based programs, she said (View the fall student list at the first link below).

“As we’ve witnessed over the past several years, there continues to be a growing interest in short term programs offered either in the summer or over winter break,” Imai said. “This year 15 of our students will be participating in summer programs organized through partner organizations. Destinations include: China, Tibet, Chile, South Africa, Tanzania, and more.

These shorter Academic Study Trips, organized and led by Saint Michael’s faculty and staff departed in mid-May and have been returning this week: Students (with faculty their mentors) have been traveling to France (Terryl Kinder, humanities and Paul Olsen, business), Quebec, Canada (Kristin Juel, Laurence Clerfeuille, Modern Languages/French), England (Kerri Shea, Christina Root, English), and Guyana (Katie Kirby, philosophy, Kimoi Seale, Student Life staff). View these program titles and student names at second link below.

Imai says that while a handful of the College’s 71 spring 2018 semester study-abroad students already have returned to the U.S., the vast majority were set to fly home in late May through late June. A list (with photos) is attached of these students.

Imai recently wrote in an email to Saint Michael’s faculty, “Our classrooms are richer because of you and the students who took the challenge and bravely stepped out into the world.”

See list of upcoming Fall 2018 semester study-abroad students >>

See list of summer destinations for study-abroad students >>

Read blogs from May-departure Academic Study trips:
> Canada (Quebec)
> England
> France
> Guyana

View large group of returning Spring 2018 study-abroad cohort with photos >>