Students get Caribbean experience with new Study Abroad program

Luke Bryant, Reporter|September 17, 2018

fruit
Brian Lang and other students try a fruit while participating in the Study Abroad program.

The Island of Grenada, one of the Caribbean islands, was the newest destination for the Study Abroad program, a program that allowed students to attend a foreign university for two weeks while being enrolled in the course Global Health and Wellness.

“The Study Abroad program expanded to Grenada to give our health field majors an option to study abroad,” Michael Mills, director of international education, said.

Mills said the course has the same course adjustments as it would on campus and the class is taught by our own professors. Students have said the course is not as difficult because it is hands on during the trip. 

“Students get so busy and forget to step back and realize what our purpose is in the world, not just our communities,” Mills said. “We are all in this bigger picture together and that is why students should experience study abroad.”

According to Mills, students and faculty get to experience another culture’s problems and their culture’s contribution to the rest of the world.

“We had one Caribbean student go on the trip,” Mills said. “The student thought it was fun to watch the American students in Grenada because typically the Caribbean students are responding to American culture, but there the students were having to respond to life on the island.”

Rachel Morgan, environmental science junior, said she had the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the island along with its difference in culture.

“We got to see one of the many different ways of living,” Morgan said. “Throughout the trip I truly learned to understand that just because it’s a different way of living doesn’t mean it is any less than our way of living in the U.S. The view was simply beautiful. In the two weeks we were there, we got to see rainforests, beaches and many different villages. We stayed right on the coast and, even though we slept at the university every night, we got to see almost all of the island.”

Morgan said the idea of seeing the entire island was stressful at first because of the difference in culture.

“The natives to the island were apparently relaxed while I was worried about being on time,” Morgan said. “Being late was seemingly okay to them which was an adjustment.”

Brian Lang, biology sophomore, said the students had more free time than class work.

“The class was not very difficult which made the trip even better,” Lang said. “We had almost every night free, and if we wanted we could make time to go to the beach everyday. At night we would spend time with other students and go out dancing or stay in the dorms. We had a lot of freedom.”

The program had 25 spots for students. Mills said the $3,250 includes transportation to the island, on the island, tuition and fees, room and board at St. George University, and two or three meals.

Morgan said, “Scholarships are available for this trip and for some people scholarships could pay all of it, for others maybe half can get paid for. It really depends on the person like most scholarships.” 

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