The Study Abroad program has returned to Citrus College after being canceled for two years due to COVID-19. The next upcoming trip is for London in fall 2022.
Limitations remain for the program, like the summer of 2022 trip to Kyoto, Japan, which was put on hold.
Study Abroad program specialist John Morris said a decision will have to be made by the end of the month if the trip will happen. Japan’s borders are currently not open to tourists, and restrictions like these affect the program massively.
“We were planning programs, and it was disappointing because they’d get canceled,” Morris said. “We didn’t know how long the pandemic was going to stretch on for, and just when I would start to think ‘Oh, things are starting to go back to normal,’ other variants of the virus came up.
“It was very disappointing to plan these things, promote them, and get students excited for it – but then we can’t run it.”
Morris has been a part of the Study Abroad program since the summer of 2015. His passion for it does not go unnoticed, especially because he took part in the program for his college. He said the experience was beneficial.
“It’s so valuable because you’re going to broaden your horizon to what’s possible, open up your perspectives to different cultures, and overall energize your excitement towards your education,” Morris said.
The revival of this program has sparked up a lot of enthusiasm, especially from Theresa Villeneuve, professor in the communications department, who has been a part of this program twice.
“I wish everyone could go,” Villeneuve said in an email. “The beauty of studying abroad is that you have the opportunity to travel on the weekends like a tourist, but during the week you really live in a foreign country and that’s a very different experience than being a tourist.
“It’s a really unique experience and the best way to experience another country because of the safety net when you’re there.”
Students can find out more information about Study Abroad at its website at https://www.citruscollege.edu/studyabroad/Pages/default.aspx.
