Shelby Knight

Overall Experience

Overall, this trip was an extremely fun and unique experience. It was cool being able to experience a new country and the different cultures and traditions that they have in their school systems. We stayed in Kingston, Jamaica, at the Immaculate Conception Hostel and taught the girls at the prep school across the street. We also got to have a beach day at Ocho Rios, which was such a beautiful beach with a reef along the shore. We also went on a coffee plantation tour on the side of Blue Mountain. This trip will always be something that I recommend to others even if you are not an education major because I am not one, but it was such a great experience for fun, learning, and just getting an overall unique experience.

Learning experience

The most valuable learning experience that I encountered was the different cultures and traditions to schools in Jamaica. The way that they teach is so different from America and seeing how the adults interact with the children was interesting. In the school they also have traditions like a sports day, where the teams compete in different activities and have performance with songs and chants. It was so cool to see. Their typical school days are also different because the different grades get out at different times and their schedule is also always changing. I learned that school doesn't have to be boring, you can make kids have fun while also learning.

Memorable experience

On this trip there were many memorable experiences like being able to teach at the Immaculate Conception Prep School. This was the largest part of our trip and the most fun and exciting. And even though it was the most fun, the most memorable for me was getting to go to the Bob Marley Museum. I have always been a fan of Bob Marley but getting to tour his home was such a wonderful experience. It was so surreal to learn about his life and also getting to meet one of the actors from the movie who was our tour guide.

What did you not expect?

Since I am not an education major, this trip did not add much to my future career, but it changed my ideas for my future. It made me want to consider possibly being a teacher sometime down the road in my career. I had so much fun teaching the little ones and when I am far into my chosen career there is a possibility that I would want to become a teacher to teach about my profession.

What advice would you give?

Some advice I would give to someone who wants to study abroad is, don't be scared. I had the most fun I have had in a long time, I was so scared prior to the trip because I had so many questions and thoughts when in reality, I should have been excited and carefree. As soon as we landed in Kingston our supervisors had everything under control and planned. I didn't need to worry about transportation, food, or where I was going to sleep because the week is already planned out down to the minute.

How has this experience impacted your life?

This experience impacted my life because I would not have been able to go on this trip by myself. This program provided opportunities and experiences that were achieved a lot easier with the university as well as deepening my love for traveling. On this trip I made new friends and connections which will help me with long-term career goals in the future. But I think the thing that was most impacted by this trip was my educational goals. I plan on continuing with my event management career, but sometime in the future I think it would be cool to try out teaching. Overall, this experience impacted my life in a very positive way.

How did you learn about this experience?

Through my roommate who was going for her practicums. I did a study abroad on spring break 2026 to the Bahamas and I loved it, so I thought, why not try it again?

International Connections