Student Testimonials

"The Scholar Ship experience has been the greatest and most rewarding challenge of my life so far. I've invested all my energy into this project and have gotten more back than I could have ever dreamed of in terms of friendships, self-reflection, and cultural awareness."

Theresa Dahl
Denmark

 
"The Scholar Ship provides a perfect setting to question our differences. It makes us realize how similar we are. Conflicts all around the world are nourished by prejudices and stereotypes saying that we are very different. However, through interaction with the 37 nationalities that are onboard, there is a single objective truth that emerges: No matter what our background is, we are very similar."
Taha El Hajji
Morocco

 
We get letters from our family and our friends, and emails, too. Whenever we open the letters, and our parents ask us "how is it over there" we always smile and look at each other, not quite sure how to explain it in words. The Scholar Ship is a little bit like at home, in a sense; we have school, and gyms, student clubs and a cafeteria. But it's obviously very different because what we learn is more than just abstract theory. It's the new challenges of working together with a truly different range of cultures; it's the excitement of getting out a map and setting out in the middle of a completely unfamiliar country to discover its beauty; it's most of all an amazing community. And it doesn't happen overnight. It is a slow progress, as we get acquainted with each other and grow. No one notices it at first. But after two months we look at ourselves and at our new friends, and we see how we have changed and how lasting these friendships will be.

Corina Paraschiv
Canada/Romania

 
"I could not find another program that provided me the opportunity to immerse myself in a multicultural environment while traveling the globe, living and learning among a new group of friends from around the world."




Richard Alexander
United States

"Can you imagine living in a small world all on a ship, with people from all the cardinal points of the earth? I believe this is the best story yet untold in my life and in my world to come."

Fredick Sammy Boateng
Ghana

 
"The Scholar Ship is a new and adventurous learning experience to me. It’s already halfway through the voyage; I still can’t completely believe this is my actual life. Every time when I watch the waving of the sea, the hovering of the gulls, I feel like this experience is a miracle. This voyage enables me to live another lifestyle. Although we may not be happy about everything (like seasickness), it means nothing compared to the worthiness of the experience. It’s once in a lifetime. It helps me learn critical thinking skills as well as deal with intercultural difference and difficulties. It’s like a miniature of the real big-world society. And we even can’t escape it when we encounter problems, so we need to fix it absolutely instead of shifting off whenever we can in the normal life before. It prompts us to try, to participate, to think, to involve, as well as prepare for our future leadership and interpersonal skills. I’ll say life here on TSS is not a relaxing vacation, but a challenging arena."

Simyllina Chen
Hong Kong/Macau

  
"The Scholar Ship is not just about what you learn in class, but what you learn with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I learn increasingly more about myself every day. It is an amazing experience!"

 Juliana Tonidandel
Brazil

 
"There is no better way to travel the world than on a ship filled with the most diverse, unique, and charismatic people you will ever meet. Our final destination is not our goal; it's what we're experiencing while getting there."

 Francisco Paco Elizondo
Mexico

"The Scholar Ship is the opportunity of a lifetime; an example of what the world needs now more than ever; a dream come true; a reality that is proven possible; an experience that cannot be expressed in words but through the relationships, learning and enlightenment that occurs when cultures from around the globe live together in a unique transnational community while experiencing the world around us."

 
Sara Woodside (Staff)
United States

"The rich and unique onboard experience where I interact with people from 50 nations have sharpened my intercultural skills and boosted my interpersonal skills. The greatest joy of my life is the joy of having loving friends all over the world. The Scholar Ship is simply a dream come true."

Bidi Emmanuel Richard
Ghana

 
"The Scholar Ship is ‘the whole package.’ I wake up every day to clear skies and blue waters. I sit at dinner with not only multicultural friends, but also professors. I peek into the life and culture of each port we visit around the world. As a student, I couldn’t have asked for a better learning experience."

Kasee Moore
United States

 
"How I've seen students change...

It's been amazing to witness and experience The Scholar Ship with students.  Not only has the experience deepened their appreciation for diversity and their awareness of the many nuances that emerge from cultural differences, but it has also increased their marketability as future international leaders and change agents.  Having been immersed in an intense transnational living-learning community, as well as having traveled to many different countries within a short span, students observed first-hand the range of global issues, perspectives, and ways of living, working, and communicating, which is invaluable as they themselves enter the workforce. In addition, they have increased their professional network and expanded the possibilities of the many career options that lie before them. By studying aboard The Scholar Ship, students automatically stand out by the uniqueness of the experience."

 Yas Djadali (Staff)
United States

 
"This has been a great experience. I would recommend this program to everybody!"

Stefania Hronn
Iceland

 
"The Scholar Ship is great opportunity to broaden one’s horizon! Coming from an engineering background, it’s a totally new but amazing experience for me. I really enjoy the intercultural discourses which further my understanding of different cultures and will aid me in my future career. Having a strong technical knowledge on one side and gaining deep intercultural competencies during my semester onboard, support me in achieving a pi-shaped skill set, furthering my intended career."

Matthias Matzner
Germany 
 

"I can't even find words to describe the voyage. I promise you it will blow away any expectations you might have. I mean really, studying on a cruise ship, how amazing is that?!"

Brennan Kasper
Canada