Studying abroad is one of the single most important experiences one can undertake when striving to immerse in the world community and expanding understanding of other cultures, customs and beliefs. In summer 2010, I made the decision that studying abroad was an important educational experience that I had to partake in before finishing my undergraduate degree in spring 2012. 
I am a secondary education major, and I was certain I wanted to study primary and secondary education in various countries to enhance further the content I was learning at Mississippi State University. At the time, I didn’t know what program I wanted to do or how it was going to work, but I knew that I was committed to doing whatever it took to ensure that I could study abroad before I graduate. 
After attending the annual study abroad fair and scouring the study abroad website for a program that would fit my tight academic schedule, I was ecstatic to come across the Semester at Sea program. I had never heard of Semester at Sea before, but the ability to travel to many different countries in a short time span really interested me.  First established in 1926, Semester at Sea is currently operated through the University of Virginia and serves as a unique educational experience that focuses on the importance of global citizenship. The program is housed on a vessel, the MV Explorer, and sails to various destinations during each of its voyages.  The Semester at Sea program offers a full fall and spring voyage as well as a summer voyage and the new Maymester program that caught my attention.
I was so excited when I read about the Maymester voyage because it traveled to seven countries in Central America in a span of 26 days.  There is no other program like it!  This inaugural voyage embarked on May 20 and debarked on June 16 in Nassau, Bahamas. In the span of those 26 days, approximately 400 students, faculty and staff sailed to Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize learning about the program’s central theme – Engineering a New Tomorrow.
I took a course entitled education and literacy in Central America. Speaking on the merits of the course, the class was so much more different in structure than anything I had ever taken. We were able to work with students specifically in Trinidad and Honduras. I learned so much about myself as an educator and communicator through being able to discuss topics pertinent to the field of education and then see first-hand how education is approached by other countries.
To make this dream of studying abroad a reality, I began planning as early as a year in advance.  Through this process, I really learned the importance of setting a goal, creating a timetable and sticking to it.  The Office of Study Abroad and Financial Aid office were so instrumental in making this experience possible for me. They worked so hard, especially those last few months before I embarked, to make sure all of my paperwork was in order and my financial aid was taken care of before I left.  I could not have asked for a harder working team as the one I was lucky to work with. I thank them immensely for helping to make my dream a reality.
Studying abroad is a unique college experience only a fraction of students undertake. In regards to other students thinking about studying abroad, I firmly believe having a plan is the biggest piece of advice I can give.  A huge part of that is also being flexible with your plan if the need arises. Start working on your plan early so you can accommodate for when things change. I cannot tell you how many times I almost thought this wasn’t going to work out, but I had to refocus myself and trust that the team I had working on my behalf was doing its best.
When all is said and done, I am so grateful for the experience I had. It still amazes me this actually occurred, and I was a part of it!  I was able to learn so much and meet so many people — many of whom are now personal heroes of mine.  If anything, this has made me want to explore further the world around me.  It is clear to me the world is so expansive, and I cannot envision sticking around in one place for a lengthy period of time anymore.  I am already making goals to teach abroad and work with educational policies in developing countries.  I really want to do my part to enhance the global community by using my passion for knowledge, and Semester at Sea taught me that my goals can become a spectacular reality with patience, persistence and a well-thought out plan.