Saint Mary’s College has decided to suspend all sponsored international travel through the 2020-21 academic year. This includes January Term travel courses.
Most of the January Term travel courses that were scheduled for 2021 will be converted to an online virtual format. Each course will include much of the same subject material that was originally planned, except without the physical travel component. January Term Faculty are working tirelessly to alter their original travel course plans in an effort to create a fun and exciting online experience for Saint Mary's College students in January, 2021. All of the newely updated January Term course listings can be found in here.
As we strive to be global citizens and align ourselves with core Lasallian values, we must remember that not participating in international travel is in the best interest of countries around the world who are fighting to curb their own issues with this pandemic. Globally, as the rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise, it is important for us to do our part in mitigating the spread of disease by foregoing international travel.
"I’m so happy to be in Australia but being here is also bittersweet. The bushfires have caused so much devastation here and we are just now experiencing some of the smoke. My heart goes out to the families who have been affected and lost their homes as well as the firefighters risking their lives to try and tame the fires. I also feel a deep sadness for the loss of the millions of species and their habitats. I hope by the end of my stay I will have left a positive impact, even if it’s small."
- Ada Fraser '21
During January Term 2020, Ada and 15 fellow gaels violunteered at a local animal sanctuary to work with Koala and Wombat conservation programs. To hear more about what this class did to give back, watch the full interview (link below).
"When I reflect upon my favorite memories at Saint Mary’s, my Jan Term Trip to Mexico is hard to beat. For one month our class studied the complexity of Mexican culture, history, politics, and what it means to be Mexican. We took Spanish language classes and even got to play with kids at an indigenous school in Cuernavaca.
While we stayed with the sweetest host families in Cuernavaca, our class also had the opportunity to visit places like Mexico City, Teotihuacán, Puebla, Xochicalco, Taxco, Tepoztlán, and Acapulco. Looking back, there is no doubt I will hold these memories from the classroom, beaches, pyramids, museums, food, friends made, and all other excursions with me the rest of my life."
"For Jan Term 2020, I had the chance to spend the month in India learning about the country's religion and culture. We visited countless temples, mosques, monuments, museums, and attractions to learn firsthand how intertwined Indian religion and culture truly are. We traveled to a new city about every two days which allowed us to see and experience so much of the country in a relatively short time (needless to say, it was incredible!). My Jan Term in India gave me some of the best friends, best stories, and of course, the best food I've ever had - it truly was a life-changing experience!"
