Help me travel the World with Semester At Sea

Caroline Deale Start Date: Mar 9, 2015 - End Date: Jul 6, 2015
  • London, United Kingdom
  • Civitavecchia, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy
  • Naples, Italy
  • İstanbul, Turkey
  • Athens, Greece
  • Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • Casablanca, Morocco
  • Salvador - State of Bahia, Brazil
  • Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Panama Canal, Panama
  • Puntarenas, Costa Rica
  • San Diego, CA

My Travel Story

by: Caroline Deale Start Date: Mar 9, 2015 - End Date: Jul 6, 2015
Even before college, and especially since arriving on campus, I knew I wanted to study abroad.

Over the past two years I have started to discover my passions, and who I really am. While I have been evolving as a person, trying to answer the question “what do you want to do when you grow up?”, a co-worker encouraged me to do a voyaged with Semester at Sea (SAS). Although I have been working for SAS since 2013, getting students ready for their voyage, I never thought I, personally, would ever get to experience getting ready for a voyage myself. Due to the cost, and partially the fear of being away from family for that long, I set aside the thought; deciding that perhaps I would revisit the program later. A month before I started my sophomore year at the University of Mary Washington, I realized that I needed to take the idea of taking a semester abroad seriously.

If you aren’t familiar with Semester at Sea (SAS), let me give you a brief description. SAS is a study abroad program in which I go to school on a ship with 600 other students. The classes on the ship all relate to the countries the voyage visits.

I filled out an application to the Semester at Sea program but didn't think it would be possible for me to go. Over the course of the year, I kept receiving encouragement from friends and family, and the idea of studying abroad became more within my grasp than I had originally thought possible. I am constantly surprised by the assistance of the counselors at SAS, each of whom is trying their best to make my dream into a reality. I have applied for scholarships to help underwrite a portion of the cost and am hopeful that I will receive some funding, and that's when I knew I could actually do this.

I intend to work onboard the ship, however, I need some further financial help towards making this actually happen. And that’s where I hope you can help! The voyage leaves September 13, 2015, and between now and then, I am determined to make this trip happen, and not let this opportunity of a lifetime drift away. I will not give up.

I will use this voyage to provide me with opportunities to interact with people from all over the world and immerse myself in different cultures. I will be taking an International Finance and International Marketing class. These courses examine a firm’s approach to financial and marketing decisions as influenced by the global environment. Being a Business Administration major, I feel that courses like these will give me a new perspective on the corporate world that I can apply to my career post graduation. Along with classes, Semester at Sea provides different field trips while in the countries. These offer a unique, inside look at each country’s life and culture. Combining the knowledge acquired from these courses and the interactions in the variety of the countries that the semester-long cruise will visit, will enhance my view of the world and myself. The countries I will visit and experience on the voyage include Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica and the Panama Canal (the ship will depart from the UK and disembark in San Diego).

To my family, friends, friends of family, friends of friends, and whoever else is reading this ... I am an extremely passionate, driven individual who truly cares about adventure and the wonders of the world. I don't ever like asking for money but, I will do whatever it takes to have this opportunity work out and I promise that every one of your dollars will be effectively spent.




Sincerely,

Caroline Deale
  • London, United Kingdom
  • Civitavecchia, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy
  • Naples, Italy
  • İstanbul, Turkey
  • Athens, Greece
  • Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • Casablanca, Morocco
  • Salvador - State of Bahia, Brazil
  • Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Panama Canal, Panama
  • Puntarenas, Costa Rica
  • San Diego, CA

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