Experience
Student Stories & Mentors
Who better to share the transformative Semester at Sea experience than students themselves? You can chat with recent alumni directly via our Global Ambassador Program or Diversity Peer Mentor Program, or you can scroll below and explore more student stories!
Global Ambassador Program
Global Ambassadors are recent alumni who are still enrolled as undergraduate students — possibly at your campus or a campus near you! They are trained to answer questions you may have about the program and share their unique experiences.
Diversity Peer Mentor Program
Before and after each voyage, SAS can connect recent alumni with prospective voyagers who share similar identities. This is designed to be an informal mentoring program to share personal voyage experiences. Although we cannot guarantee to meet all mentorship requests, we will do our best to pair as many mentors and mentees as possible.
Voyager Vlogs
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What does social change actually look like? Our Applied Social Change students spent the day in Khayelitsha with Professor Teboho Moja Ph.D, a native of South Africa and an activist, and the Chapman Social Impact Interport Lecturer for South Africa, Nyani Tutu-Burris to find out. They traded textbooks for the rhythm of marimba music and the colorful streets of the township.
“Following the philosophy of Adrienne Maree Brown’s Emergent Strategy, we looked for “fractals”—the small changes that grow into something big.
We walked the streets with Sifiso, whose passion for local art and history is infectious. We visited the Philani Maternal, Child Health, and Nutrition Centre to see life-changing work in maternal health and education. This was followed by a delicious lunch at Lelapa Restaurant, a business built to give back to the community.
We moved away from focusing on “guilt” and instead celebrated the incredible power of the people we met. We left inspired, reminded that we all have the power to be agents of change right where we are.”
Come hear what students are doing in Cape Town and see snippets of their days! #semesteratsea #sas #voyage137 #studyabroad
This video was created by our Social Media Management students as part of a class competition! Each port will feature a student video, with winners determined by likes, comments, and shares within a 7-day window.
From rescued exotic animals to cheetah conservation 🐆 Voyagers spent the day learning about wildlife conservation in South Africa, visiting an animal sanctuary in Stellenbosch and the Cheetah Outreach Project to see these incredible animals up close and learn about the work being done to protect them. 🌿 #semesteratsea #cheetahoutreachprogram #sas #fieldprogram
Introducing our third Through the Lens feature of Voyage 137: Sam Kaplinsky, a junior at the University of Colorado Boulder studying Finance and Real Estate. (@titanicv2 )
“Cape Town was a turning point in how I think about photography. It taught me that the best subject is light - everything else is secondary. I like to photograph moments that slow me down, making everything else seem quiet and calm. The city’s incredible scenery, atmosphere, and natural light led me to shoot from feeling, as opposed to focusing on finding the perfect subject. Cape Town also felt like a homecoming, a place where family stories and history ran deep. Visiting my grandma’s old house, the beach she grew up on, and throughout the rest of the city, I felt a sense of nostalgia for a place I’d never been.”
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Welcome to Office Hours 🗂️✏️ this semester, we are sitting down with professors to go beyond the classroom and into the stories, passions, and experiences that shape our voyage.
We are grateful for our first guest, Professor Diego Vega for his insights on positive psychology and building healthy relationships at sea and beyond! 🗺️🛳️ #semesteratsea #sas #voyage137 #officehours
A deep dive into one of Semester at Sea’s most beloved traditions: late night snack time 🛳️🍰 #semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad #sassp26
Voyage 137’s highlights from Kenya! #semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad #kenya
Snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park & Reserve🐠🌊🤿
Just off the coast of Shimoni, this protected reef is one of Kenya’s most vibrant marine ecosystems — home to colorful coral, tropical fish, and even dolphins! Our voyagers explored the reef and got a close-up look at the incredible marine life that makes this place so special. #semesteratsea #studyabroad #sas
Our students were in awe seeing an array of animals in their natural habitat in Kenya. #semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad #masaimara #safari
This video was created by our Social Media Management students as part of a class competition! Each port will feature a student video, with winners determined by likes, comments, and shares within a 7-day window.
Introducing our second Through the Lens feature for Voyage 137: Lauren Lobanoff, a marketing and business management student at the University of North Dakota and owner of Lauren Elaine Photography. (@_lauren.elaine_ )
“Kenya truly gave me a new perspective on how I want to tell stories with my camera. Instead of looking for perfect shots, I focused on capturing the beauty that already existed, from the landscapes to the everyday moments that make the country feel so alive. Each photo felt like a small piece of a much bigger story unfolding around me. My photography business is built around the idea of ‘capturing life’s moments,’ and these photos follow that same mindset. They focus on real scenes, real people, and the balance between nature and daily life that made Kenya so memorable to experience.”
In Mombasa, Kenya 🇰🇪, students in Dr. Walter Spezzano’s Principles of Natural Resource Tourism course took learning beyond the classroom and into the field.
Led by Dr. Walter Spezzano, Professor of Hospitality and Tourism on the Semester at Sea 137th Voyage, the field class explored how tourism is shaped, framed, and experienced across three sites: Nguuni Nature Sanctuary, Serena Beach Resort & Spa, and Mombasa Cultural Village.
Through ethnography and discourse analysis, students examined how ideas like conservation, luxury, cultural heritage, and authenticity are communicated—and how those narratives influence human behavior. By connecting theory to real-world tourism practices in coastal Kenya, the experience offered a deeper, more critical understanding of hospitality and tourism in action.
#semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad
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