Diversity Peer Mentor Program

I’m Maggie from Myrtle Beach, SC. I sailed after high-school as a gap year student on the Spring 2019 Voyage. On SAS I was given exposure to so many different ways people make an impact in life. Witnessing a social enterprise in Ghana had a massive impact on my major and career plans! When I sailed I was learning how to live with an autoimmune illness and the food restrictions that came with it. On board I loved attending Global Studies (i.e. learning about the next port!), being a part of Christians at Sea, and soaking up all the wisdom of the SAS community.

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During my time on board, I served as the head of the international student union and helped create a safe space for this minority (80 out of 800) on board. Apart from being a safe place to vent and process, we held film screenings and panel discussions that were open to all as a way to further our multicultural understanding. I believe that every individual is an amalgamation of their own unique experiences and intersectional identities. SAS was an experience that demonstrated this at every turn. It has become an experience that is central to my identity. To me SAS was an experience that keeps on giving – it gave me friends for life, experiences I will always cherish, a broader outlook, a more open attitude, and so much more.

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Cairo Eubanks is the New Future Foundation International Civil Society Youth Representative & Member to the United Nations, as well as a United Nations Department of Global Communications Civil Society Youth Representatives Steering Committee Member. She is also the Global Correspondent for Global Oved Dei Seminary and University, an interfaith e-learning institution.
Cairo’s favorite course during Semester at Sea was Global Studies and she was extremely active in the Black Student Union on board. Her favorite memory was staying in the middle of the Sahara desert in Morocco and connecting with a Moroccan reggae band who sang in Arabic. As a proud Jamaican-American, this experience solidified her belief that cultural exchange builds bridges and reinforced her identity as a global citizen.

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Hi, I am Alisha! I sailed as an international student on SP14. I’m very passionate about spreading awareness of the SAS program abroad/outside of the US. Some of my favorite memories – the excitement of seeing the shore of a new country you’re about to explore, making many new friends, having an extended shipboard family, being rocked to sleep at night and, of course, Neptune day (ever kissed a fish?)! Semester at Sea has been an incredible experience that fueled many of my passions that I have to this day – including a severe case of wanderlust (66 countries and counting). Whenever I tell people that I lived and studied on a ship, they can barely believe that such an awesome experience exists and regret not having known about it back then – so don’t miss out on this amazing experience!

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I’m Austin Joseph, and Semester at Sea was the most transformational journey of my lifetime. I sailed on the SP16 voyage and met the most incredible people, learned about the world through their perspectives, and was forever changed! I had amazing adventures seeing the night stars in the Sahara, exploring the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, the streets of Tokyo, Tabletop Mountain, the Taj Mahal and much more. My voyage also recorded the first music video capturing the fun of daily life on the MV World Odyssey! My favorite courses were Comparative Politics and World Religions, especially when we took our coursework to the real world and visited real temples in the countries to learn about global religions firsthand. I went to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and now I work for Google.

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Born and raised in Virginia, just outside of D.C., SAS has sparked a forever love of traveling inside of me. It taught me that there are always going to be ups and downs along the way but it is always worth it. I met some incredible people on my voyage that I still (7 years later) keep in touch with. I just went on a cruise to Alaska with my ship roomie and got to spend time with the ship doctor and a couple professors on my journey home. I never could have imagined how much I’d learn about myself/the world, and how much this program would change my life. I’d recommend it to anyone!!!!

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Passionate, curious and zesty, I’m born and bred Singaporean. I studied Business (Marketing and Finance) at the National University of Singapore. Living on a small island translates to traveling at any opportunity you get, so Semester at Sea was a no-brainer, lifetime opportunity for me. Some of my favorite activities on board were stargazing on the deck, with all the lights switched off, under cost blankets. A sight to behold! My personal interests include film, mixology, flavoured popcorn, and leisure hikes.

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When I sailed with Semester at Sea in 2017, I was a Junior at the University of Maryland in College Park. Before applying to SAS, I struggled to pick just one country I wanted to spend a semester abroad in. Lucky for me a program existed for those like me who had bigger ambitions. The few months I spent at sea continue to be a point in my life which I always refer back to. My solo trek through Myanmar, meeting Desmond Tutu, spending a day in a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, the evenings spent on the ship playing card games–all of these treasured moments I constantly think back to. Post-voyage, I have continued to travel and even lived in China for a year (a port from my voyage). Currently I reside back at home in Maryland but make sure to keep my passport open.