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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This Giving Tuesday, let’s go beyond. 🌍 #semesteratsea #studyabroad #givingtuesday
Gap Year Abroad | How Semester at Sea Changed My Life
Unplugged & Fully Present: Life Aboard the World Odyssey | Semester at Sea
Falling Asleep to the Waves: What I Miss Most About Semester at Sea
Life on the World Odyssey: Sunsets, Sunrises & What I Miss Most | Semester at Sea
🌍 Sail to 11 Countries + Get $250 Shipboard Credit | Semester at Sea Fall 2026 🚢
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Kick off the new year by starting your Semester at Sea journey! For a limited time only, we will be waiving the $75 application fee for all upcoming voyages! Submit your application December 31, 2025 thru January 2, 2026 using the fee waiver code you can request via the link below.
↪Request a Fee Waiver Code: https://www.semesteratsea.org/resource/your-semester-at-sea-application
*Eligible for new student applications only.
Voyage 136, thank you for the adventure of a lifetime.🛳️
On September 9, we stepped aboard with full hearts and unanswered questions, unsure of what this experience would ask of us.
Over 105 days, we stepped away from routines, roles, and expectations. The world grew bigger and smaller all at once.
Somewhere between ports, classrooms, late nights, and quiet moments at sea, something shifted.
This voyage stopped being about where we were going, and became about who we were becoming.
Made for this became more than a phrase. It became how we showed up. For discomfort. For connection. For growth. For one another.
The transformation looked different for everyone, but it was undeniable. None of us leave this ship the same as when we arrived.
To my fellow shipboard community, may this experience empower you to step confidently into every season ahead, knowing that wherever the wind carries you, you were made for such a time as this.
136 - Made For This
Jake Richardson
@jakecrichardson
FA25 Social Media Coordinator
Soaking up our last few moments of Voyage 136 🥹💙
For our final Through the Lens of Voyage 136, we’re spotlighting Claire Qian (@west.side.clown), a third-year Film and Media Studies major at @ucirvine .
Every photo in this series was shot on a film camera throughout the voyage and developed only at the very end in Hong Kong, our final port. For Claire, that waiting is the point. “I think the uniqueness of film is that everything is like a reward at the end when you develop the films. It’s a long wait, but it’s like bringing back memories.”
When she finally saw the images, many surprised her. Moments she barely remembered resurfaced, frames she hadn’t realized worked came to life, and even underwater shots taken without being able to properly see through the viewfinder revealed unexpected beauty. Some of the strongest images were the ones she never anticipated, made meaningful only once time, distance, and development brought them into focus.
Claire hopes viewers walk away with a deeper appreciation for patience and process. “I think good things are worth the wait. That’s what film taught me the most.” In a world that expects instant results, her work slows us down and reconnects us to anticipation, memory, and shared moments. “It’s a process that connects people.”
This series captures Voyage 136 not as it happened instantly, but as it was remembered. Shot on film, carried across oceans, and finally revealed at the end.
🎖️Photo 12🎖️
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"You`re going to have to convince me not to go…”
Words of wisdom shared by @the.ramseyshow co-host @jadewarshaw, author of “What No One Tells You About Money,” when prospective Semester at Sea voyager, Ian calls in seeking advice on whether to keep pushing with his successful affiliate marketing business, or to take an educational break to study abroad with Semester at Sea.
The message was clear: Prioritizing life experience over immediate income in this specific season of life is the right move.
Read more via our latest News from the Helm blog post: https://ow.ly/o9wW50XLFK1
We’re sure our Voyage 136 members can attest to this… Voyage 137 you are in for an experience of a lifetime! #semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad #semesterabroad
Voyage 136 tapping into this SAS Social tradition!(@daisyblake72 & @kyler.hagen this one is for you)
Ever wondered what it’s like to live and learn on a ship? 🌊 Follow @semesteratsea to see the adventure unfold or tap the link in our bio to learn more.
This semester’s Chapman Impact Scholars dove deep into global challenges alongside local nonprofits, crafting toolkits for social change and sharing their work at Showcase Night. Here’s a glimpse!
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Take the first step on the journey of a lifetime.