Intercultural experience impacts UPIKE students’ lives
0Written by Mary Ann Fletcher
This summer, two UPIKE faculty members and 13 students embarked on a journey they will never forget. These eager learners traveled through Germany as part of an experiential learning trip. Brigitte Anderson, English professor and Humanities Division Chair, and Chandra Massner, associate professor of communication, enjoyed themselves as they learned with the students.
Anderson, a native of Germany, described this trip as a “Tremendous success — and learning experience for us all.” Anderson added, “We navigated planes, trains, a Rhine River cruise ship, subway trains, bicycles, and local buses; we climbed up to the top of the Cologne Cathedral, toured Neuschwanstein Castle, the Dachau Concentration Camp, and walked along Brandenburg Gate in Berlin; we tasted Schnitzel at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich and sampled German breads at the youth hostel buffets. We even visited a German high school for a day. It was a whirlwind experience that left me proud as can be of UPIKE students, who explored with open eyes and minds and left Germany with a new way of viewing the world.”
The trip, which lasted from May 19 through May 31 included: Kaitlyn Walters, Sydney Hall, Molly Frank, Jarred Sisco, Kyle Allen, Deressa Prater, Ashley Copley, Mary Ann Fletcher, Kenya Moore, Amanda Mae Arts, Caitlyn Dixon, Christina Halen, and Klay Maggard.
Massner said, “UPIKE students who went to Germany expanded their worldview. It was a trip I will never forget. We saw many amazing sights including historic castles as we cruised the Rhine river, the Bavarian crown jewels in the Munich treasury, and Neuschwanstein, otherwise known as ‘Cinderella’s castle.’ It was an incredible trip as we travelled to Cologne, Nuremburg, Munich, and Berlin. One of the most somber but moving days was when we toured the concentration camp, Dachau. Every day, we experienced something new. Through our travels, they met a variety of people from different countries, tasted excellent German cuisine, and enjoyed the German culture.”
After each day, a student was assigned a blog to write to talk about what happened that day for the UPIKE website. You can find the student posts on the UPIKE website under “blogs.” Kaitlyn Walters, an English major with a communication minor said, “It was an incredible trip filled with new and exciting experiences. The changes in culture were eye opening.”
Klay Maggard, senior, said, “Germany was an amazing experience.
Experiencing another culture is a once-in-a lifetime experience. Everyone should do it.”
Christina Halen, a recent alumna said, “I feel like I learned more from this trip than I would have ever learned in a classroom setting. I learned more than just facts about Germany. I learned communication and navigation skills that I never thought would be necessary. I recommend study abroad to everyone after such an amazing experience!”
To learn more about UPIKE’s experiential learning program, simply go to the UPIKE website and hover over the word “Academics” on the front page and scroll down to “Experiential Learning.”