Studying abroad for the Winter Session was something I always saw myself doing when I came to the University of Delaware. The thought of traveling during the winter months (and hopefully to someplace warm!) sparked my interest early on. Delaware offered many opportunities for me to make this goal a reality, and I found my match with the Winter 2026 trip to Hawai’i through the Center for Global Programs & Services. This trip offered an Introduction to Public Health class, which is outside of my major, but something I was definitely interested in. I am grateful that the University allows students not in the designated major to apply for these trips. 

Being a “micro” trip, we had one class to take and spent a total of three weeks away on two different islands of Hawai’i. The first island that we spent most of our time on was Oahu. Staying in Waikiki Beach offered us many opportunities to explore the local culture, but also allowed us to have the comfortability of seeing our everyday stores and restaurants from home which made it feel like we weren't over 5,000 miles away at times. 

Our class went on multiple field trips during our time on the islands. Some of these trips include snorkeling, visiting Kaiser Permanente (a medical clinic and health care company), spending time at the University of Hawai’i, volunteering at Kokua Kalihi Valley farm and Kualoa Ranch and attending a group luau to experience the culture of Hawai’i. While visiting Kaiser Permanente and the University of Hawai’i, we had the opportunity to meet with and listen to multiple professionals in the public health field talk about their research and what public health means to them and the community members on the islands. While on the farms that we volunteered at, we got to help out by transferring nutrient rich soil, cutting down plants that were ready to be harvested and learning about the complex food systems in Hawai’i. 

Another big trip that we went on was traveling to the Big Island of Hawai’i to explore the Volcanoes National Park. On this island, our class focused on emergency systems and how the islands stay safe in case of an emergency. During our time here we got to see Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes—which actually erupted just a few days before and a few days after we visited! We also visited volcanic steam vents and lava tubes that were carved out by flowing lava during previous eruptions. 

During our free time on the trip, our group explored the local communities, visited famous beaches, completed hikes and just enjoyed each other's company. I am so grateful that Delaware gave me and everyone on this trip the opportunity to explore a new area and learn while we were there. These experiences are definitely once in a lifetime and I encourage everyone to step outside their comfort zone to explore the world by applying to one of the many study abroad opportunities that the University has to offer.