An Iowa College in the Liberal Arts Tradition
Alumni Reflections
Read the reflections of some of Luther's recent graduates about their study away courses and experiences abroad:
One of William's most memorable experiences was visiting the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg during study abroad. William says feeling that close to apartheid “was a moment of mixed feelings, but it was a learning experience.. The overall experience in Botswana was magnificent, and I thank Luther for it.”
“I left Norway with a deeper understanding of my own interests, priorities, and goals. I also left feeling inexcusably unaware of crises outside of the U.S. I know now that being a well-informed global citizen requires passion, compassion, and dedication to lives that are not always visible.”
What stands out most to Delaney about her time at Luther was her J-Term trip to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan her senior year. “It was just incredible and something I never would have experienced if I hadn’t gone to Luther. We did everything from spending time and having meals with local families to riding camels and snorkeling in the Red Sea!”
“My first trip was retracing Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation and my second was Green Germany and Norway where we learned about sustainability and renewable energy. The opportunities we had on these trips were once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”
Erin spent one J-term in the United Kingdom and another in Hawaii. “It was amazing to take a month-long course to learn about the cultures at both locations. I also studied abroad for my Spanish major in Cuenca, Ecuador. I lived with a Spanish-speaking family, immersed myself within the culture, volunteered at a school, and explored the Amazon Rainforest.”
“During my junior year, I traveled to Ghana for the course Christianity and Slavery. We explored how Christianity shaped the slave trade and its lasting impact both in West Africa and the United States. This course greatly deepened my understanding of history, our society, and my place within it.”
“My study-away experiences in Washington, D.C., and Western Europe (Germany, in particular) had the greatest impact on me. I knew I wanted to major in history, and much of the work in my major focused on sixteenth-century Europe. So, participating in a J-Term to study the Reformation in the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands and spending a semester in Münster, Germany, gave me the chance to do some original research for what would become my senior project.”
“As a junior I participated in the Nottingham study abroad program and it was the most impactful of all my college experiences. It was where I took my first classes in international development and Mandarin Chinese, both of which guided later education and career decisions. I was also exposed to the excitement of life abroad, interacting with students from every corner of the globe and facing routine challenges to my assumptions and beliefs.”
January Terms and study abroad opportunities were some of the most memorable times at Luther for Katie. “They gave me the chance to immerse myself in a different culture, political environment, religion, and language. I went to China and Japan with one course and Turkey and Jordan for the other. Studying abroad truly impacts how you interact with people and see the larger world.”
“One of the Luther experiences that had the greatest impact on me was the Vienna residency J-Term trip I took with the Symphony Orchestra. The cultural experiences in the music capital of the world along with the community within the ensemble made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
—Madeline Davidson ‘14
“I think my study-abroad experience helped me become a better nurse. I went to Norway and Russia, where we looked at cultural ties and World War II. I think that experience translates well to nursing since I work with people from so many different backgrounds.”
