Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand 2019
Hometown: Peachtree Corners, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: Whether I was snorkeling with Crush in the Great Barrier Reef under the breathtaking sunrise and accompanying rainbow or jumping into freezing cold water to make it to the top of the glacier; my most fond memories cannot be captured in one event or activity, but rather as a constantly reoccurring feeling throughout my journey. Feelings of excitement, looking forward to each new adventure, were met by an unexpected feeling of belongingness everywhere we travelled. There is never a dull moment, never a moment to take for granted, and never a single moment that you should allow yourself to be sitting around in your accommodations! My favorite memory from my Maymester abroad was the constant moving around and breaking down new barriers each time.
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad offers the most distinctive study abroad experience in the books. It’s impossible not to make best friends, lasting memories, and check off some things on your bucket list along the way! Choosing a favorite place, activity, or memory is tough because of the magnitude of “ah-mazing” moments on the trip. Each place on the itinerary is unique, offering completely different types of experiences, from taking selfies with seals in Kaikoura to sunrise snorkels on Lady Elliot Island, it is impossible to compare these times of absolute awe. The people that are a part of this organization work tirelessly to create the most exciting and educational journeys for students. There is no doubt that Discover Abroad has the best programs in the business!
Program: Spring Semester Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii 2018
Hometown: Wrentham, Massachusetts
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: There are so many to choose from! My top favorite memories would definitely have to be stargazing in Carnarvon Gorge, sunsets and snorkeling with sharks, sea turtles, and manta rays in The Great Barrier Reef, and bungee jumping in Queenstown, NZ!
Why Discover Abroad: My semester with Discover Abroad is a time of my life that I will never forget. I had so many experiences on this trip that I have always dreamed of and I saw places I’d never imagined I’d get to see. I met people that I now consider my family, and I learned so much about the environment and what it means to be sustainable, and also about myself. Out of all of my semesters here at UGA, I feel like I have taken away the most from my study abroad experience. Discover Abroad programs will take you on the journey of a lifetime!
Program: Spring Semester Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii 2018
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: One of my favorite memories was sitting on the beach in Fiji watching one of the last sunsets of our program. It was completely unorganized and yet almost the entire group came to be together one last time. My friend brought her guitar and played some incredible music while we all shared our favorite memories with each other. We stayed on that beach almost all night because we couldn’t accept that the trip of a lifetime was finally coming to an end.
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad works with some extraordinary people who have a significant impact within their local community. I think this allows students to build more personal relationship with each location, because we are actually learning through experience rather than from a textbook.
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand, Fiji add-on 2019
Hometown: Marietta, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: When my cohort visited Lady Elliot Island, Jennifer Hayes and David Doubilet, two National Geographic photographers, happened to be staying there as well. We were able to listen to them speak about their vast experience in underwater photography and discuss sustainability communications. The next day, they asked us to model for them while we were snorkeling! The opportunity to meet such inspiring people in one of the most beautiful places on the planet is something I will cherish forever.
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad is truly an experience like no other. Learning about the importance of sustainability coupled with experiencing new places makes Discover Abroad such a hands-on program. From staying with a family in a Fijian village to swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura, New Zealand, Discover Abroad allows students to learn through experiences. On top of that, Discover Abroad introduced me to some of my best friends and favorite professors. Discover Abroad teaches you so much more than a textbook ever could, and it’s the absolute experience of a lifetime!
Program: Winter Break Australia 2018
Hometown: Stone Mountain, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: One of my favorite memories was going Skydiving for the first time in my life in Noosa where we got to jump out at 15,000 ft over the beautiful sunshine coast region. What made it even better was that we landed on a dog beach and that all of this came from an impromptu decision during our free time in the morning of that day.
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad gave me the opportunity to not only learn about a beautiful country but also about myself while doing it. This program will give you the chance to learn and experience the unique ways that people live their lives and to be a part of that can be a transforming life experience. You are able to take in so much as you travel the world with professors who are so passionate about what they teach and are there for you every step of the way. I learned so much from the faculty on this trip and it has truly affected the way I look at and live my life.
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand 2019
Hometown: Cumming, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: It’s so hard to pick just one memory, but one memory that specifically sticks out was our nights in Mount Cook! Half of the group was cooking dinner in the kitchen for all of us, while the other half were playing card games, playing guitar, or just having awesome conversations. I just remember looking around the room and thinking about how lucky I was to be able to go on this once-of-a-lifetime adventure with such amazing people! Other favorite memories would be scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and adventuring in Queenstown!!
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad always keeps you on your toes!! We are constantly moving from place to place, but we really get the chance to see these amazing places in depth. We encountered so many amazing field guides along the way that loved teaching us about the place they get to call home. We learned so many valuable lessons about the importance of sustainability and how we can incorporate them into the business world. I also got to share these experiences with the BEST group of people and faculty that I could have asked for. I will truly never forget my life-changing experience with Discover Abroad!!
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand 2019
Hometown: Marietta, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: Like I’m sure everyone else is saying, there are so many amazing memories to pick from. One of my most favorite memories would have to be a hike we took at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. During a break time, a small group of us decided to take a hike to see the glaciers on top of the mountain. It was raining, and I could barely see through the droplets on my glasses, but it was amazing nevertheless experiencing all the beauty that the country had to offer. It was a bonding moment between all of us and a memory I will cherish the rest of my life.
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad has award-winning programs for a reason. They are fast pace and intense, but everything is incredibly organized and every moment is amazing. You are able to experience and learn so much in such little time. One day you could be in the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, another day you could be in a bustling city like Sydney, Australia, and the next day you would be in a remote, snow capped mountain in New Zealand. It’s truly awe-inspiring and a once in a lifetime opportunity we are so fortunate to be given the chance to experience. Everything about Discover Abroad is top-notch: the sites, the curriculum, the people. I would not give up my experience for anything.
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand, Fiji add-on 2019
Hometown: Marietta, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: I think it will always be impossible for me to choose my favorite memory, but one of my favorite days of our trip took place in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Imagine a place where mountains meet pebble beaches and a glacial blue ocean: that’s Kaikoura. One of our mornings there, everyone on our program went swimming with wild dolphins in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, then took a nap together on the beach, and we later ended the day with a bonfire on the beach while looking at the stars. It was as close to a perfect day as I could ever dream!
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad is truly like no other program. Going on a program that moves around every few days kept everything exciting and made me feel like I truly maximized my time abroad by getting to see so many unique places. Whether it was appreciating breathtaking views or exploring local life or bonding on a bus ride, the experiences that made up our month abroad really brought our group of all kinds of people so close together and helped me to find some of my now closest friends. The passion and positivity from the students and staff that make up these trips is so powerful, and I left my program with a better understanding of how my actions affect people globally. Thanks to what I have learned with Discover Abroad, I better know how to live more sustainably in simple ways, and I know that these things really make a global impact. In every aspect I can think of, Discover Abroad is an unmatched program that far surpasses a typical travel experience.
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand 2019
Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: It was our last day on Lady Elliot Island and I finally decided to overcome my sleep to take one final sunrise snorkel. Since our flight leaving the island was only two hours after that, only two of us students showed up and went out to sea with our amazing professor and two of our wonderful guides. As we explored the ocean, I was so sleepy and felt like since it was so early that i wouldn’t see much. Instead, I saw more than I did during any of the snorkels I did before combined. There were sharks, turtles, manta rays, octopus, and all kinds of fish just waking up from rest. They were all so calm and moving slow so we got a really good look. I will never forget when an eagle ray swam directly towards me and made eye contact before swimming the other way! I was just in awe. That morning, in only an hour, I got to see some things I never expected to and Discover Abroad made that possible.
Why Discover Abroad: The amazing thing that differentiates Discover Abroad from other study abroad experiences is the variability they offer. It allows you to learn and do things that you would never have done if you went to another country by yourself. They truly allow you to be able to see as much as you can in the limited time you are there. In my program, one week we were in the mountains and the next we were on an Island. One week we were learning about glaciers on mountains and the next about marine animals while snorkeling alongside our professors through the Great Barrier Reef. Discover Abroad allowed me to truly have an unforgettable experience and anyone would be blessed to experience the opportunities Discover Abroad has to offer.
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand 2018
Hometown: Athens, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: In our first week in New Zealand the group traveled to Doubtful sound, an extremely remote location on the Sothern Island. This location is extremely difficult to reach and many residents of the nation have never traveled to Fijordlands National Park at the southernmost tip of the island. One night we took a hike at night to learn about nocturnal creatures indigenous to the area and while walking along the road, once your eyes adjusted to the low light, millions of glow worm larvae were visible in all directions. With the night sky above and the glow worms to each side, it was impossible to tell where the sky ended and land began.
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Aboard is all about travel. Being able to see the Great Barrier Reef one week and be at the tallest mountain in New Zealand the very next week is an opportunity that does not present itself often. On my program we were students in 9 unique locations in the span of three and a half weeks. Each day our classroom was the great outdoors and our busses were glass bottom boats and prop planes. Our Bolton was a picnic on a mountain and our dorms were wooden tents on a coral island.