Summer Adventures

UNC Asheville Students and Faculty Study Abroad

By UNC Asheville

August 23^rd, 2023

UNC Asheville students found themselves roaming the globe this summer. From the rolling hills of Ireland, the dense rainforests of Ecuador, or the cobblestone streets of Italy, the bulldog spirit was alive and adventurous this summer. Read on to see the worlds our students and faculty visited and their experiences learning while abroad.

Northern Ireland and Ireland

Sarah Booth

Sophomore

Throughout our time in Ireland, we were blessed with gorgeous clear skies and warm days, which according to the locals, is not typical for the island in late May. Many days we found ourselves lying in the lush grass, soaking up the sun and enjoying the breeze between fast-paced scavenger hunts designed to help us find historical landmarks in the city and fun outings with newfound friends.

This is the best way I could have completed my Humanities 324 requirement. Connecting directly with the Irish people and hearing their life stories created an experience that can never be replicated in the classroom. Throughout this experience, we were immersed in a landscape of locals who continuously feel the aftereffects of the very real strife and oppression the Irish have faced over hundreds of years. Many of the folks we interacted with were more than happy to answer any questions and offer additional information we would not have been able to access otherwise.

Taking a chance and pushing aside the fear surrounding going to a country thousands of miles away from my home and everyone I know was one of the best and most memorable risks I have ever taken. I became friends with people who go to UNCA that I would never have encountered or interacted with otherwise.

We all collectively took part in something magical: watching each other experience a place for the first time. There is nothing like seeing someone become awestruck as you walk into a 200-year-old cathedral or the look on their face when they are entirely at peace as they fall asleep in the grass after eating an ice cream cone. Learning with others in this untraditional setting, seeing and doing things we have never done before, and staying in a hostel in Dublin with 10 people to one shower created a bond I will not ever have with anyone else. The connections you can forge with people in this way are very special. I learned so much, and If you are on the fence about going abroad, do it.

Italy

Students in the Italy: Ancient to Modern, The North study abroad trip used historical sites as their classroom. Where better to talk about WWI than in the trenches of the Western Front? Where better to learn about DaVinci’s last supper than in the very room where it was painted? Where better to learn about the impact of the automobile in Italy than in a car museum?

Students visited more than two dozen cities and sites from Milan to Moena, Turin to Trieste, and Venice to Verona.

Ecuador

Jake Horton

Chair and Professor of Biology

We visited Mitad del Mundo (the middle of the world) and students walked along the equator. After, the crew traveled to Tiputini Biodiversity Station well within the Amazonian Rainforest. With our guides we saw amazing plants, animals, and fungi. We then traveled to the cloud forest and learned about sustainable agriculture.

Next was the Galapagos Islands, a biologist’s dream! Students saw sea lions, marine iguanas, and giant tortoises. We also snorkeled at Leon Dormido. The crew helped with a native reforestation project in the highlands on Isla de San Cristobal and helped teach about gardening in local schools. We returned to the mainland and visited Otavalo, where the largest indigenous market in Ecuador is, and saw the celebration of Inti Raymi on the Summer Solstice.

We also visited Cuicoche Lake, a lake in the caldera of an active volcano in the Andes. After a farewell dinner with our friends from USFQ, we returned to the United States. Students gained valuable experience learning about the bio- and cultural diversity of Ecuador. It was an amazing experience!