Summer is known for sunny days, popsicles and swimming pools, but to BYU students, summer also means a chance to get out and explore the world.
Many students use the summer break to travel in and out of the country for leisure, studies and internships. MaCall Ovard, a senior from Idaho studying communication disorders, spent two months on a study abroad in London, Scotland and France.
“I had never been overseas. I’m in my senior year of college, and I wanted an adventure,” she said. “I was excited to meet new people…and see all the historic landmarks.”
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Like Ovard, many students feel drawn to new cultures and people. Stephanie Merrill, a junior, spent the entire summer in Jerusalem.
“I wanted a change of scenery and an adventure, and I wanted to meet a lot of people that wanted those same things,” she said. “The culture in Jerusalem is so different than the culture here, so I was excited to be immersed in that new culture and meet new people.”
Many students feel a renewed sense of gratitude while traveling.
“Traveling allows you to appreciate another culture,” Merrill said. “There are a lot of things here that I take for granted, things that as an American I take for granted. For instance—we are so lucky to be able to get a university education.”
While some students use the summer to travel overseas for extended periods of time, many students use the break to return home to their families.
According to BYU’s website, 33 percent of students are from Utah, which means that most of the student body comes from outside of Utah.
Kaylie Smart, a senior studying public health, worked in Utah over the summer but still found time to return to her family in California.
“I went to Disneyland and hung out with my parents,” she said. “Traveling provides a good break from school; you feel rejuvenated when you come back.”
Traveling can be expensive and time-consuming, but Ovard, Merrill and Smart all agreed that it is worth the expense.
“If you get the chance, take it,” Merrill said. “It’s the best experience I’ve had in college so far. I know that sometimes it can be hard to make it work, but if you can, go somewhere new and have an adventure. There is a lot to learn from traveling that you don’t necessarily get from books or the classroom.”
