Bo Little
Program: Maymester in Australia and New Zealand and Fiji add-on
Hometown: Danville, KY
Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: Playing hacky sack in Doubtful Sound!
Why Discover Abroad: When else are you able to go with 30 peers to the most beautiful places in the world?!
Program: Summer Australia and Maymester with Fiji add-on
Hometown: Peachtree Corners, GA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: My favorite Discover Abroad memory happened in Undara. We hiked up to a lookout and went stargazing. We spent hours hanging out, listening to music, and stargazing!
Why Discover Abroad: Discover Abroad is way more than the typical UGA Study Abroad program. We spend most of our time in the field, doing hands-on learning, in the world’s most beautiful locations. Our motto holds true, “Discover Abroad, Discover Yourself”. On the program you will be able to try so many new things, so lean in, have fun, and go Discover Abroad!
Haven Somerson
Program: Maymester in Australia and New Zealand and Fiji add-on
Hometown: Cumming, GA
Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and stargazing on Lady Elliot Island!
Why Discover Abroad: My experience with Discover Abroad was absolutely one of the greatest experiences of my life! The time we spend learning in the field is unforgettable, the places we see are some of the most beautiful places on Earth, and the friendships you can form are ones that last a lifetime. My personal and professional life goals have been changed for good by this program, and I could not recommend it more!
Program: Spring Semester Australia, Fiji, Hawai’i, and New Zealand
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: Scuba diving for the first time during our visit to Lady Elliot Island is a stand-out memory that’ll stay with me for the rest of my life. On our first dive, we snaked around a coral formation, and suddenly an octopus swam by before settling on a piece of coral! This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Watching such an otherworldly animal immediately camouflage to its surroundings was mind-blowing. At that point, I was certain I wanted my future to include scuba diving and studying marine ecology.
Why Discover Abroad: you’ll bloom into a more compassionate, adventurous, and curious version of yourself! After staying with a welcoming Fijian family, making 30 new UGA friends, and connecting with Discover Abroad’s knowledgeable, caring staff, you’ll become a more empathetic, selfless person. Furthermore, after hiking through the fern-filled trails in Abel Tasman National Park, seeing the sun set from the summit of Mauna Kea, and snorkeling over swaths of day-glow coral in Fiji, you’ll become a more daring, risk-taking person. After experiencing our natural world on such a remarkable scale, you’ll rethink humans’ role in the world and how we ought to live in balance with nature. These experiences will shape you into an inquisitive lifelong learner. Discover Abroad programs will inspire you to explore your values, learn to appreciate new aspects of our world, and mold your outlook on life from day one!
Program: Summer England and Scotland and Maymester Australia and New Zealand
Hometown: Arlington, VA
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: My favorite Discover Abroad memory was when we had an afternoon off once we arrived in Ambleside, Lake District and the entire group on my program got together to go on a hike behind our hotel. It was dusk, and we all decided to hike up to the top of the mountain together. This experience was one that brought us all together on an unexpected adventure filled with laughter and discovery.
Why Discover Abroad: I recommend Discover Abroad because it is a hands-on interactive learning study abroad in which you actually get to get out of the classroom and see what you are learning about with your own eyes. This experience truly opened my eyes to the world and the interactions we have with it. I also got to learn so much, while meeting my lifelong best friends.
Madden Reagan
Program: Maymester in Australia and New Zealand
Hometown: Decatur, GA
Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: My favorite memory was Lady Elliot Island. Getting up early for a sunrise snorkel and seeing Manta Rays was incredible. Then at night lying on the air strip and looking at the stars was an unforgettable experience.
Why Discover Abroad: I chose discover abroad due to the unique experience that it provides. Incorporating experiential aspects into learning allowed me to grow a deeper connection with the world around me.
Madison “Kamoto” Nakamoto
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand and Fiji add-on
Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: stargazing at doubtful sound!
Why Discover Abroad: I loved how outdoor intensive, quick paced, structured the program was.
Matthew Nguyen
Program: Spring Break Hawai’i
Hometown: Duluth, GA
My favorite Discover Abroad Memory: My favorite Discover Abroad memory was when the fellow students on my cohort and I had to venture back to the Kilauea visitors center after Kilauea began erupting on the Big Island of Hawai’i. As the ashes and tephra began raining down on us mid-hike, I recall the initial confusion followed by a race to safety as none of us were prepared for the falling rock, but it was truly a magnificent sight to be rushing back around the volcano’s crater as we could see the eruption growing larger and larger in real time.
Why Discover Abroad: I chose to take part in Discover Abroad to attain an experience completely unrelated to my major and one that I knew I would never be able to receive through any other study abroad program at UGA. After being persuaded by the program’s amazing staff and past participants at a study away fair, I figured I’d take myself out of my comfort zone to endeavor on an adventurous, sustainability-focused program that would ultimately rekindle my love for the outdoors and align my passion for exploring the natural world with my academic studies. The greatest takeaway of Discover Abroad for me has since been its ability to make me realize that everything I do has an impact on the world around me, and I am forever grateful for how the program I attended in Hawai’i has taught me so much more about the local culture of the region as well as about myself as a person.
Program: Maymester Australia and New Zealand
Hometown: Nashville, TN
My Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: One of my favorite memories from my trip abroad was Aoraki/Mount Cook. Not only was it incredibly beautiful, with surrounding mountains and lakes, but the entire cohort all stayed in one big cabin, and we all played games and watched a movie together. I had never experienced something like that before and it was an impactful moment for me.
Why Discover Abroad: Students should do discover abroad because it includes some of the most incredible and unique experiences you will ever have. You learn so much in such a fun and interactive way while also going on so many adventures and gaining so many amazing friends. You definitely won’t regret it.
Rachel Newman
Program: Summer Australia
Hometown: Canton, GA
Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef!
Why Discover Abroad: Discover abroad is a once in a lifetime experience to see and experience incredible hotspots of the world. Each day is filled with activities that help shape your education and help you learn who you are. Getting out into the environment is the best way to see, feel, and relate to the place you are in and gain a deeper understanding of the world, which is exactly what Discover Abroad does.
Shelby Hiskes
Program: Spring Semester in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawai’i
Hometown: Arlington Heights, IL
Favorite Discover Abroad Memory: The first day in Queenstown, New Zealand – waking up after flying from Hawaii, exploring the city as a group and finding Fergburger (yum!) and then hiking up Queenstown hill to get a panoramic view of the city!
Why Discover Abroad: Discover abroad is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity unlike no other study abroad experience. You get to explore the world in a hands-on way, embrace a variety of cultures, and grow within a group and as an individual. Take your first step!