Study Abroad Program Announces 2025 Destinations
By Roger P. Healy
All Photos by Roger Healy
La Roche Students got a first look at 2025 Study Abroad destinations in CC Square on 10 October.
The La Roche University (LRU) Study Abroad/Study USA (SASU) program announced Spring and Summer 2025 trips to Athens, Greece and Machu Pichu, Peru.
Students can travel to Greece during Spring Break in March 2025, and Peru during the May-August ‘25 semester. The SASU office will announce official travel dates after 1 January 2025.
Doctors Andrea Peck and Michelle Rimbey of the Education Department said that they are excited to lead the trip to Greece. Peck offered a description of what students could experience in Athens.
“Imagine stepping into the cradle of civilization in Athens, where ancient ruins like the Parthenon stand alongside bustling markets and cafés,” Peck said.
“Whether it’s soaking in the island’s natural beauty or tasting its local delicacies, this trip to Greece offers the perfect mix of history, food, and relaxation.”
Both Peck and Rimbey said they are looking forward to seeing the students learn and grow.
Rimbey said, “I am most looking forward to seeing Greece through the eyes and experiences of our students. The opportunity to visit another country and being immersed in the culture is such a unique and rich learning experience for everyone.”
Peck said that she lead a SASU trip to Morocco in 2019. Rimbey said she had never traveled with students before.
Dr. Emily Shimko, Health Science Professor and La Roche Experience Program Director, and Dr. Natalie Rugg, Education Graduate Program Chair, will lead the Machu Picchu trip.
Shimko said the trip will expose students to new and different cultures while focusing on differences in diet, lifestyle and health.
Shimko said, “We hope to show the students the opportunities that travel can open up to them and broaden their horizons. This course specifically with view culture through health and physical activity.”
Shimko and Rugg’s travel proposal states that students will get active while experiencing urban life in Cuzco and visit the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in the Andes mountains.
Shimko and Rugg’s travel proposal states that students will get active while experience urban life in Cuzco and visit the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in the Andes mountains.
Shimko stated this would be her first trip to South America. “My passport has some stamps,” she said. “Always excited to add more!”
Cora Paige Fleissner, Coordinator of Study Abroad + Study USA and Executive Assistant for the Office of Academic Affairs, said of the trip, “I am excited for students to be able to participate in the cultural experiences we have lined up for this trip and to hear from them and Dr. Shimko about their time in Peru.”
When asked what she most expected students to gain from the 2025 trips, Fleissner said, “These trips are about more than just seeing new sights—they’re about understanding new ways of life and growing from those experiences. Students return with fresh perspectives, meaningful memories, and a better understanding of the world.”
University faculty and students have been eager to bring Study Abroad trips back into the curriculum. La Roche’s SASU program was one of the university’s biggest selling points prior to the 2019 pandemic.
Dr. Azlan Tajuddin, Chair of the Department of Sociology and International Studies, said he’d like to see the SASU program return to its former status.
Tajuddin said, “From 2012 to 2019, I believe we had an average of five to six trips per year. The number of trips has since been drastically reduced.”
The university previously offered a sophomore semester in Rome opportunity in addition to its multiple short trips. Tajuddin said the program was a significant recruitment tool and an identity-building initiative for the university.
“I hope that the study abroad program will get back to where it once was,” Tajuddin said. “For now, students have very limited options of places to travel.”
Tajuddin said he was asked to lead a trip to Madrid, Spain in August 2023, but stated that budgetary concerns limited the trip. Tajuddin said, “Some of the proposed places of interest could not be included into the package due to budgetary constraints.”
La Roche University’s new president, Dr. Christina Clark, stated in an interview last April that she supported reviving the SASU program. She acknowledged budget constraints as well, at the time saying, “It’s our responsibility to make sure that the university remains in strong financial position. Sometimes we need to make short term decisions that affect students like the reduced cafeteria hours or the reduction in the number of study abroad trips.”
During that April interview, Clark said she was committed to revitalizing the Study Abroad + Study USA program. Clark said, “I will commit, I’ve definitely, as you’ve heard me said, want to beef up that study abroad experience.”
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