Traveling during your college years will be some of the best experiences you'll have.
You can immerse yourself in different cultures, explore the history of civilization, try new and exciting cuisine, experience new art and music, meet new and interesting people, and train your brain to solve problems differently.
Here are four ways you can travel the world as a Keuka College student.
1. Field Period®
Every Keuka College student completes a Field Period® experience every year they're here. A Field Period® can be an internship, observation, cultural experience, community service project, artistic endeavor, or spiritual-based exploration, and it can be anywhere in the world you'd like. (Sitting there thinking, "how am I going to pay for a trip abroad?" Don't worry — we have scholarships that will help!)
There are two ways that you can travel as part of Field Period® — independently or as part of a group.
Independent Travel
Students who choose to travel independently will often do so by arranging an internship or research experience related to their major in a place that interests them. Students have had experiences ranging from working in an Australian Schizophrenia research lab (run by an alumna — watch her TED talk here!) to working on a Colorado horse ranch.
Some students travel to new places on their own and make new friends along the way. The choice is up to you and how far you're willing to step outside of your comfort zone.
Sarah works with elephants during her Keuka College Field Period in Thailand
Roland Trajano '17 M'18 traveled internationally twice while at Keuka College. Once to Kunming, China (pictured here along with some new friends) and once to the Dominican Republic. The Dr. Anne Marie Guthrie Scholarship for a Field Period® in China picked up the tab for his trip.
Group Experiences
If traveling as part of a group is more your thing, Keuka College professors lead guided educational excursions to different parts of the world at least once a year, and the College has partnerships with a number of different organizations that will provide you with a guided experience to just about anywhere in the world.
Recent and upcoming destinations include Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, England, France, Galapagos Islands, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Nicaragua, Vietnam.
A recent Field Period® to Nicaragua included building a home in El Sauce with the 4 Walls Project as well as participating in an English as a Second Language class, museum and mountain coffee farm tours, and learning about rural economies.
International Potential: Each year, faculty from the Division of Nursing lead a group of Keuka College nursing, occupational therapy, and social work students on a transformational overseas trip. Previous trips have included a focusing on mindfulness in Ireland to treating patients in the Dominican Republic. As a student, you'll have the opportunity to share in this experience and do good around the world.
2. Study Abroad
Matt McFetridge '12, a native of nearby Penn Yan, was one of the first Keuka College business students to spend a semester in China. He loved his experience so much that he went back — permanently.
After earning his master's degree at Tsinghua University, Matt moved to Shanghai where he started a business importing and selling Finger Lakes wine.
If you're interested in a fully-immersive, semester-long experience, your faculty adviser and the Office of Academic Affairs can help you research and select a quality program suited to your academic needs and interests in a country that piques your interest.
Junior and senior Business Management students have a unique opportunity to spend a semester studying at one of Keuka College's partner universities in China or Vietnam. Because of the College's programs in those countries, you can take the same upper-level courses you'd take in the United States — taught by Keuka College faculty — in China or Vietnam.
3. Alternative Spring Break
If serving others is more of your thing, the College organizes trips each year during Spring Break. Students have helped build houses for those in need, assist in hurricane recovery, and much more. You'll get to do good and explore a different part of the world.
4. Fulbright Program
Keuka College is a proud participant in the world-famous Fulbright Scholar program. Fulbright is the world's most prestigious international educational exchange program — more than 37 world leaders and 60 Nobel Prize winners are Fulbright alumni. You can apply to Keuka College's Fulbright Program during your senior year, and those accepted are appointed to a 10-month assignment that provides for all of your expenses, including a competitive stipend.
