Group travel is a hallmark of the Fellows Program. First-year Fellows travel to New York and DC to interact with titans of finance, public health, government, and the arts. As they advance in their academic careers, Fellows take part in fully funded international spring travel-study designed by senior faculty.

In recent years, Fellows have traveled to Morocco, Fiji, Jordan, South Korea, India, Germany, Costa Rica, Egypt, and the Galápagos Islands.

Fiji

Program Leader: Peter Brosius (Director, Center for Integrative Conservation Research and Professor of Anthropology)
Academic Focus: Sustainable Development and Eco-Tourism

Sheena Zhang ’11
“Traveling to Fiji and getting to know the families of Vindawa and Waitabu was truly a unique experience that pointed out aspects of Fijian as well as American culture. The relaxing atmosphere of ‘Fiji time’ was well contrasted by activities like playing volleyball with the fittest Fijians in our village, snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, and water-sliding among the stunning beaches dotted with leaning palm trees and clear blue waters. Bula!” 

Trey Sinyard ’11
“Besides its breathtaking beauty and fascinating ecology, Fiji captured all of our hearts with the outpouring of hospitality we received from the local villagers who provided our homestays. Their unending generosity and commitment to making us feel at home went beyond that of any other country I have traveled to.”

Stephanie Chapman ’11
“The trip was an amazing exploration of the people, culture, and environment of Fiji that I’ll never forget. We swam, kayaked, hiked, sang, and most importantly, bonded with people we would have otherwise never had the chance to meet. For the rest of my life, I’ll have family in a small village in the South Pacific.”

John Marshall ’11
“The theme for the day posted outside the schoolhouse in Soso village was ‘LOVE.’ The chief of Waitabu village had traveled forty-seven years before choosing to return to be chief two weeks before we arrived there. Maria was a girl in secondary school who loved to play music, wanted to travel the world, and took advantage of hang-out time with us (while wearing her patriotic USA shirt) as a taste of foreign culture. In other words, our trip to Fiji was a provocative experience which still has me contemplating the meanings of home, travel, and different perspectives.”

Galapagos Islands & Ecuador

Program Leader: Ron Carroll (Professor, Ecology; Co-Director, UGA River Basin Center)
Academic Focus: Biodiversity, Conservation, Climate Change, and Eco-Tourism

Betsy Allen ’10
“Our time in the Galápagos was defined by community. As a community of friends and students, we were able to enjoy each other and the beauty of our surroundings while also learning about our place in the historical and biological community of our globe. That week was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in which we met Lonesome George, saw more colors on individual animals than we’d imagined possible, and experienced first hand the sights and places featured throughout our history and biology textbooks.” ›

Calley Mersmann ’11
“I will always remember the night on the ship when I spent hours looking over the balcony watching the sea lions, flying fish, and baby sea turtles swimming around, with pelicans floating on the surface of the ocean and sharks circling underneath. It was surreal.”  ›

Josh McLaurin ’10
“Visiting the Galápagos reminded me of the powerful simplicity in big ideas. As I watched wildlife navigate the surrounding terrain on the island where Darwin first landed, I felt as though I was privy to the same basic feeling that hatched Darwin’s original curiosity. To be so close to the heart of such a big idea was remarkable.”  ›

Connor McCarthy ’10
“The Galápagos Islands were a great opportunity to see what conservation means in practice. Comparing the islands to the mainland and inhabited islands to uninhabited islands made me realize the human effect on the environment and the environment’s reaction. I plan to take the practices I learned back to the States.” 

Berlin, Germany

Program Leader: Jerome Legge (Associate Dean, School of Public and International Affairs)
Academic Focus: History, International Affairs, and Cultural Studies

Hank Schwartz ’12
“The trip to Berlin was a whirlwind of German politics, history, and culture. We dissected the landscape from each phase of the city’s relatively quick assent to global importance. Being accompanied by a renowned professor and friends with diverse interests meant that the conversations about Berlin didn’t end with the tour.” 

Juan Carlos Cardoza-Oquendo ’12
“Cities condense culture and place. Berlin, with its tumultuous and rich history, is no exception. Riding the U-Bahn and feeling the pulse of Germany’s most diverse city, and Europe’s youngest city, deepened my understanding of urban dynamics.”  ›

Joseph Stunzi ’12
“Berlin was a history-rich, epic adventure into a European landmark. Despite the cold and rain, we learned quite a lot about both WWII Germany and the Cold War period that soon followed. We got to explore the jungle of a city from the new trends in urban graffiti to remnants of the Berlin Wall to the rich world culture that it contains. If you drop by, make sure to go see our friend at the Chicken Doner...cheapest food in town...open late!” ›

Morgann Lyles ’12
“From the horrors of the Holocaust to the cultural motivation of street art, I learned more about Berlin in one week than most people will learn in a lifetime. There is no way I could ever re-create this first experience of the city with my brilliant and adventurous classmates by my side.” 

Costa Rica

Program Leaders: Quint Newcomer (Director, UGA Costa Rica) and Gregg Coyle (Professor of Environment and Design; Director, Resident Instruction)
Academic Focus: Sustainable Development and Eco-Tourism

Calley Mersmann ’11
“The spring break trip to Costa Rica was nothing less than amazing. The opportunity to explore the UGA Costa Rica campus, talk with community members about their sustainability initiatives, zip line through the cloud forest, and go to the beach all in one week...it doesn’t get any better than that! More importantly for my future goals, this trip enabled me to experience the profound relationship between culture and sustainability in a way that would not be possible in the United States.”

Sheena Zhang ’11
“Where do I even start? Every day brought new surprises and even better experiences. Every view of the beautiful landscape was breathtaking, but then the adrenaline-pounding activities (zip lining! river rafting! diving off waterfalls!) were even more so. Experiencing the local culture and learning about fair trade and Costa Rica’s conservation efforts stimulated our brains, while our bodies enjoyed the warm sunshine and fresh air. And the opportunity to do all this in the company of good friends culminated in memories that will last a lifetime.”

Phoeny Li ’11
“This trip was a life-affirming mix of adventure, learning, and friendship. I’ve just been blessed with a glimpse of true ‘pura vida,’ and I will try to remember what that felt like and invoke it the rest of my life.”

Egypt

Program Leader: David S. Williams (Director, Honors and Foundation Fellows Programs; Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Religion)
Academic Focus: Archaeology and History

Amanda Brouillette ’10
“Egypt was a phenomenal spring break trip. We live in a society that is incredibly focused on ways to technologically surpass the innovations of mere days before, yet we forget the incredible feats of ancient societies that we have yet to surpass. As children we learn about temples and what incredible accomplishments they are, but actually standing at the foot of a temple that was built by hand over the course of a thousand years is a completely different experience. Nothing can compare to the wonder of placing your hand inside an ancient hieroglyph, etched deep into stone that has survived the battering of thousands of years.”

Milner Owens ’09
“Being given the opportunity to visit temples more than 3000 years old where the ‘graffiti’ is considered a historical artifact from the Roman and Coptic Christian invasions served as a reminder of how small I am in the big scheme of the world and its history. One of the biggest advantages we had was our guide who roused us early so that we could watch the sun rise over the Temple of Horus. It was an irreplaceable experience.”

Christina Faust ’09
“Seeing Egypt by camel, bus, and boat was an incredible experience. We were able to immerse ourselves in ancient Egyptian culture, something many of us had dreamed about since elementary school.”

South Korea

Program Leader: Hyangsoon Yi (Associate Professor of Comparative Literature)
Academic Focus: Zen Buddhism

Ryan Friday ’11
“Trying to capture the essence of living with Buddhist nuns in the mountains of Korea is no easy task. I can’t imagine spending my spring break in a more momentous way. Our trip there brought the Buddhist faith to life for me, from gaining a better technical understanding of the religion to meeting some of the most amazing people I have been privileged to interact with in my life.”

Rebecca Corey ’09
“Our temple stay in the Unmun-sa Buddhist Teaching Monastery in South Korea was a truly singular experience. It was intellectually and emotionally refreshing, deeply spiritual, and a true lesson in compassion and open-mindedness. Our faculty leader, Dr. Yi, gave us first-hand access to the modern practice of a remarkable faith and philosophy. I will never forget the pain and sense of accomplishment I felt after performing the 108 full bows in the Great Dharma Hall at 3:30 in the morning!”

Ginny Newman ’10
“The trip to South Korea was amazing, especially because of the time we spent in the monastery. We had the opportunity to actually be a part of the nuns’ lives for a few days and get to know them as real people. Experiencing their discipline and unbelievable kindness, but also their humanity, really affected the way in which I viewed their faith and monastic culture in general.”

Josh McLaurin ’10
“As a part of the nuns’ early morning breakfast ritual, we used water from a communal pot to clean every last food particle out of our bowls so that no food donated to the monastery would go to waste. Arriving home, I was hit in the face with how ungracious my normal habits of consumption were in comparison.”

New York City and Washington, DC

(First-Year Fellows)
Program Leader: David S. Williams (Director, Honors Program)
Academic Focus: Finance, Politics, and Public Health

Sara De La Torre Beron ’13
“I am still in shock that we managed to do everything we did in New York and Washington, DC. The people we met will be valuable connections in the future, and learning how to find things in two major metropolises was a great introduction to travel in general. It brought our class even closer than we already were, and it helped us get to know Dr. Williams and his family as well.”  ›

Lance White ’13
“The NY/DC spring break trip was an amazing opportunity to experience the nation’s economic and political centers. I left feeling humbled and inspired by all of the exceptional people we met, and I gained valuable insight into new professional options. Best of all, I was able to explore both cities with a group of my closest friends.” ›

Bethany McCain ’13
“The NY/DC spring break trip gave me a glimpse of the many different career paths I could take in the future. Meeting professionals from several different fields inspired me, and I feel like I got a handle on how to network.” ›

Derek Ponticelli ’13
“The NY/DC trip was a fantastic blend of informative meetings and cultural immersion in two of America’s greatest cities. Making connections with some extremely influential people was great, but the memories I take away from the trip will certainly be filled more with street food from Chinatown, chess in Central Park, and blues and comedy clubs late at night.” 

Joshua Gloster ’12
“I had never been to New York and Washington, DC before, so just going there would have been fun. However, I truly got the experience of a lifetime because of the people we met—such as Justice Clarence Thomas – all of whom seemed incredibly humble and more than happy to give of their time. This trip was amazing, and I’ll remember it forever.”

Logan Krusac ’12
“The trip provided a great opportunity for us first-year Fellows to get to know each other better. I think we all feel a much closer bond as a result of the trip. It was great to meet one of my heroes – Paul Begala from Crossfire! He was so personable – we could really ask him anything. I also really enjoyed the reception with Fellows alums in DC. There was a unique bond among us, from the oldest to the newest. We all made great connections and were able to see how the Fellowship is truly a vehicle for success.”

Juan Cardoza-Oquendo ’12
“New York and Washington, DC are very diverse and complex cities. While meeting with prominent decision makers, we also explored neighborhoods and met locals on our own, giving us a fuller sense of life in these cities.”

Hillary Kingsley ’12
“I have visited both New York and DC several times during my life, but none of my previous experiences granted me the new and exciting opportunities I received this spring. With the Fellows, I discovered a wealth of perspective and enrichment in these cities that I could not have acquired by any other means. My experience was truly memorable and unique.”