Student and Staff Share Traveling Experiences and the Importance of Travel in College
By Maddie Willigar | Assistant Editor
With the end of the pandemic in sight and many individuals looking for travel opportunities as countries open their borders, Science Professor Heather Conn, and former MWCC student Chyrone Ragland, share their experiences with traveling and why they believe it is important for schools to have more travel opportunities.
Between his time in the military and his job afterward as a Military Outreach Coordinator, Ragland traveled to over 25 locations, including Dubai, Afghanistan, Germany, and Poland. Out of all of these locations, Ragland said Dubai is one of his favorite places he has traveled to. Between the leaf-shaped Palm Islands and the “remarkable” architecture, he also explained it was the most beautiful.
While staying in Dubai, Ragland discovered from his cab driver that Dubai had a very low crime rate, and while working as a contractor in the military, he knew many people who decided to move there. “There was so much life to live over there…I think that’s a place everybody could go and experience,” Ragland said.
Besides Dubai, Ragland also said he really enjoyed Poland between the chilly weather, delicious food, and close range to the Tropical Islands Resort, an “incredible” indoor beach only about an hour away from Germany’s border.
One thing Ragland said he has learned from traveling to all of these different places is to make the most of the time he has and to “keep an open mind…because you might not get that same opportunity again.” But when referring to the main benefits of travel overall, Ragland said some are “meeting new people, learning new cultures, [and] opening up your mind.”
To experience these benefits, Ragland said, “the further you go [travel], the more you’ll learn.” He added that often the culture within some states will be very uniform, whether that be “economic status… or race” and said that his father used to tell him that there is a drastic difference between the North and South that goes deeper than how someone talks or dresses “it’s a completely different lifestyle.”
Conn said she had started traveling with her parents to a few places when she was younger, but the “big event” for her was studying abroad for a biology program in Australia during college.
Having now traveled to about “30 National Parks in the United States” and about 17 other locations, including Iceland, Costa Rica, Italy, Jamaica, and Holland, Conn said her favorite places are usually wherever she is at the moment. However, she said she went back to Costa Rica about four times and traveled to Iceland this past summer, and would love to go back with students.
“I tend to gravitate more towards places with natural beauty. I like the cultural part of going to Europe and seeing the coliseum…but if I had to pick my own trip to go on, I more often would like to go see a different ecosystem or a different landscape,” Conn said. Conn added that it is important to have a combination of both because regardless, “you’re still experiencing the different culture.”
Between getting extremely close to an erupting volcano in Iceland and observing the Pope’s Sunday mass on Easter Sunday from the steps of the Vatican, Conn has experienced many unique things while traveling.
Conn explained that some benefits of traveling are “learning and experiencing” the differences in “the world around us,” such as other countries living conditions and struggles. “It’s just a huge way to learn and to…appreciate the variety of humans in the world around us, and I think that’s the best thing that people can do,” Conn said.
Throughout her travels, Conn has learned to “go with the flow” and applied this mindset to her role as a professor. Knowing that “people are all very different and unique,” Conn explained you have to “go with the flow” because most things don’t happen in the way you think or plan, including in the classroom.
She also said that while in class, she tries to encourage others to travel between class trips to Boston or by showing pictures of National Parks in her Geology class to show them the beauty within our country. Conn added, that many people overlook this because they want to see more “flashy things” like Europe; However, Conn recommended that everyone should explore the United States.
Though Ragland did a lot of traveling while in the military, he doesn’t believe that people should have to join in order to travel. He said that many people don’t have extra money lying around to just go and travel, which is why he thinks it’s important for colleges like MWCC to have more travel and study abroad opportunities.
Conn agreed that traveling opportunities at colleges like MWCC are important. “We’re working hard to get this to happen and make it affordable for our students…Travel should not be left for those with a lot of money; people should have the chance to travel and to have these experiences and see a different environment or see a different culture…and learn from that,” Conn said.
Conn mentioned that there will be a trip to Iceland in the spring of 2023, which will be open to all students. However, Conn said a scholarship will be available to students who have taken the “Beyond Vikings and Volcanoes” course; hopefully, providing an opportunity for nine students “to have their travel paid for to join.”
If visiting new places like Iceland sounds appealing to you, keep an eye out for the “Beyond Vikings and Volcanoes” class in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 to apply for the scholarship.
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