University of Redlands Students Share Snippets From Study Abroad

Who says learning only takes place in the classroom? Or in one’s home country, for that matter?

The University of Redlands sent 72 students to 35 countries in the fall 2024 semester, Global Advisor Melissa Modesitt said. A variety of programs in numerous academic fields were offered in countries such as Indonesia, France, Cambodia, Argentina and Japan. Modesitt said that aside from Salzburg, Spain was the most popular study abroad location.

Studying Abroad, Bulldog Style

The University of Redlands offers a variety of programs in more than 35 countries, with its own satellite campus in Salzburg. Redlands partners with several local universities as well as the School for International Training (SIT), Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), China Educational Tours (CET), Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) and Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS).

Aside from a few adjustments each semester, Modesitt said most of the study abroad programs and offerings remain constant. Two new study abroad programs that will be offered for the 2025-26 academic year are Argentina’s Public Health in Urban Environments as well as Portugal’s Multimedia Storytelling and Intercultural Communication in Portugal. Both are through the SIT study abroad organization.

Such a large variety of programs and locations, Modesitt said, contributes to the high rate of Redlands students who study abroad. She also explained that study abroad tuition and room and board rates are equivalent to being on the main Redlands campus. 

“I’ve heard so many students say ‘I came to Redlands because of study abroad,’” she said.

With about half of Bulldog undergraduates studying abroad, the university is ranked 16th nationally amongst similar institutions for its study abroad participation rate. Let’s take a closer look at four students’ study abroad adventures.

Read on to learn about all four unique experiences or click on one of the links to jump to a specific one!

Barcelona, Spain

Copenhagen, Denmark

South Caicos, Turks and Caicos

Salzburg, Austria

And to finish, read some valuable advice from abroad!

Barcelona, Spain

Christen Wiley ’25 participated in the CIEE Language & Culture program in Barcelona, Spain. Wiley, a business major, said that a driving factor in her choice to study abroad was the fear of missing out on all the opportunities that studying abroad entails. Wiley had originally been looking at the Australia program, but switched her focus to Europe because she didn’t want to be landlocked. Wiley said she eventually landed on the Barcelona program because Spain’s historical ties with the Philippines would allow her to connect with her Filipino roots.

One of Wiley’s favorite experiences was the internship component of this CIEE program. With assistance from the program’s faculty members, Wiley applied and was hired by Interflow Studios, a beach-side gym in Barcelona, where she worked in the social media department two days a week. 

This program also included a trip to Tarragona, Spain that included tours, cat cafes, pottery class and fun activities like karaoke. Wiley’s solo travels took her to Morocco, Monte Carlo, London, Dublin, Amsterdam as well as Paris and Nice in France. Although planning such individual travel took time, Wiley enjoyed the opportunity to explore on her own agenda. 

When looking back, some of Wiley’s favorite parts of her semester abroad were the abundance of history and unique architecture. Wiley also said she enjoyed the rustic vibe and fresh food from the Honest Greens food chain.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Raine O’Hollaren ’26 participated on the DIS Copenhagen, Denmark program during the fall of 2024. O’Hollaren, a Multimedia Art & Creation Johnston student, said she was encouraged to study abroad by her parents and academic advisor. She was drawn to Europe for its abundance of art and then decided on Denmark due to that country’s renowned craftsmanship.

O’Hollaren took architecture, furniture design and pen sketching classes. Along with such hands-on work, each ‘core course’ had its own academic trips planned. O’Hollaren’s group went on a two-week trip to northern Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden. 

On her own, O’Hollaren traveled to London, Berlin and Oslo, Norway. Wanting to immerse herself in the culture and experience Denmark beyond the tourist attractions, she also traveled extensively throughout Denmark.

“One of my professors said that I had been to places in Denmark that nobody who he’s ever taught has been,” she said.

O’Hollaren said she wasn’t able to do as much individual travel as she’d wanted, but liked being flexible and taking things at her own pace.

In addition to learning about Danish culture and history, O’Hollaren said the unique train stations were a major highlight of her study abroad experience.

Another fond memory for O’Hollaren was her hunt for a three-legged chair frame for one of her design classes. 

“It was three hours on a regional train, and then it was a 30 minute bus, and then from there was a 30 minute walk to this person’s house in the middle of nowhere,” she said.

South Caicos, Turks and Caicos

Madison Eaton ’26, an Environmental Sciences major, studied abroad in the Caribbean’s South Caicos. Eaton is no stranger to studying abroad, having traveled to Palau during her freshman May Term and Salzburg her sophomore May Term. Eaton chose South Caicos, her first semester-long study abroad experience, because it expanded her academic opportunities in marine science and biology.

“I knew that Redlands didn’t have a specific marine science or marine biology program,” she said. “I figured if I went abroad for a semester, I could study more of those kinds of disciplines.”

Eaton was fortunate to be accepted in this program, as Redlands only sends one student to Turks and Caicos a semester due to its intensive curriculum. The majority of time was spent on South Caicos, one of the smallest islands in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The group also spent their fall break week in Provo, the main island, and a few days in North and Middle Caicos for underwater field trips. 

For her research project, Eaton looked at human impacts – related to stressors like diseases, heat waves and storms – on coral reefs. Eaton shared that one of her favorite experiences was a lab on lionfish that involved snorkeling down and locating the invasive species. 

“Starting and finishing and presenting a whole research project gave me a little snippet into what I want to do in the future,” she said.

Eaton said she really enjoyed all the time spent in the ocean with people who shared her passion for preserving marine ecosystems. Getting to know the locals was another highlight, and Eaton said their lifestyles made her much more cognizant of water usage.

“We could only have one fresh water shower a week. We had to really conserve water, because the only imports were from boats, and if there were storms, we couldn’t get fresh water. [But] if there were no storms, then we couldn’t collect the rain water.” she said.

Another memorable event for Eaton was sheltering on Middle Caicos during Hurricane Oscar. Although it only had the strength of a Category 1 hurricane, it was an unusual experience for the California native.

Salzburg, Austria

Keegan Sherry ’26 studied abroad in Redlands’ Salzburg, Austria program. This program is Redlands’ only ‘satellite’ program, completely made up of Bulldog students and faculty.

This was not the first study abroad experience for Sherry, a Human Rights & Politics Johnston student. She joined her sister Timony Sherry ‘24 on the 2023 Palau May Term where they conversed with government officials and explored the ocean with dives and snorkeling. Examining WWII rubble on the ocean floor, Sherry said, was an eye-opening experience.

“Palau really emphasizes that they should just leave the history how it is, leave everything untouched, and let the ecosystem be. There was coral growing on top of these planes, and it was really beautiful. Their mindset was, ‘just like let nature do its thing,’ and that history can still live on as long as we continue talking about it,” she said.

Upon returning from Palau, Sherry knew she wanted to study abroad again. She decided on Salzburg due to its Redlands exclusivity and cost effectiveness with various included excursions, along with the abundance of WWII history in that area.

This trip with about 30 Redlands students included several excursions; a weekend in Vienna, ten days in Italy and 11 days in the Balkans. One of Sherry’s favorite places was Trieste, Italy, part of the Balkans excursion.

“Trieste is very different from a lot of cities in Italy in the way that there’s a lot of different cultures squished into one city,” she said “It’s not just Italian culture.”

Sherry also utilized the train system for independent exploration outside of coursework. She enjoyed exploring Amsterdam’s canal system, socializing with locals and marveling at Budapest’s Parliament building while on a cruise down the Danube River.

“I don’t know how they did it, but the entire [Parliament] building was golden,” she said. “I remember saying to the friends that I was with, ‘This is one of those moments that you’re going to look back at and remember for the rest of your life.’”

Throughout the whole semester, Sherry said they learned about Holocaust history and the rise of fascism. Sherry thought she already had a good grasp on this slice of history, but witnessing it in person at Salzburg taught her so much more.

Advice From Abroad

Having successfully survived a semester abroad, these students shared some insider tips; Wiley encourages people to research the intended country of study and prepare activities for when free time arises. She also advises people to be flexible. On this note, O’Hollaren tells students to be okay with following through on their plans even if they don’t have a companion.

Despite their separate locations and programs, all four students spoke of the benefits of gaining new perspectives and experiences that result from studying abroad. They all voiced how they believe studying abroad helped them develop and become more independent.

“I think that really made me a more self-aware human,” Sherry said. “I’ve always grown up with the value that empathy is one of the most important things a person can possess,” she said. “I think I’m even more that way. Noticing how other people do things and are feeling is really important, and traveling gives you so much perspective on that.”

Modesitt also explained that studying abroad helps people mature.

“It makes them grow up, because they’re learning new cultures and how to be independent,” she said. “Even just the process of going grocery shopping in another country, cooking their own meals in another country – it’s just a whole new experience.”

Studying abroad is not always easy, though. They all faced the common study abroad obstacles of culture shock, language and homesickness. They said that learning basic phrases, establishing a community by making friends and activities like journaling and listening to music helped. For Eaton, one of the biggest challenges she faced was returning home and experiencing ‘reverse culture shock.’

“You don’t want to try to force yourself back into the same shoebox as you were before,” she said. “Settling back in after all the chaos will take time, but it is really worth it. And now, once we are settled and almost done with the semester, I feel just an immense sense of joy and gratefulness for my experience.”

For those considering studying abroad, all four students enthusiastically encourage them to follow through.

“Take a leap. Just do it. Apply to scholarships,” Sherry said. “I know it’s really expensive, and that is something that a lot of people really stress about, which I totally understand and get. But you only live once. If you can do it, do it. It’s normal to be worried about finances. [Studying abroad] is one of the best things you can do for yourself, especially in college.”