Over the past couple of years, different departments across Doane University have taken dozens of students on study abroad trips to take their education to the next level, outside of the classroom. This year, the English Department is traveling to Ireland.
Assistant Professor of Practice in English Melanie Ritzenthaler and Professor Brad Johnson have previously led a course to London, England, a couple of years ago, where they found themselves wishing there was enough time to travel to Ireland as well.
“For a student who hasn’t traveled abroad before, Ireland is a great choice,” Johnson said. “The people have a reputation for great hospitality, and it is one of the safest travel destinations in the world.”
Ritzenthaler and Johnson’s plan during this trip is to visit castles, the Guinness Storehouse and explore Dublin, along with going to Trinity College and visiting some scenery spots that looked as if they were pulled from “Harry Potter.”
“Personally, I am looking forward to trips to Glendalough and Northern Ireland to see Giant’s Causeway,” Ritzenthaler said. “Both are stunning – Glendalough is a picturesque valley in a national park, complete with remains of an ancient monastery and the Causeway is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site on the coast.”
This semester, the English Department has a variety of events planned where interested students can attend if they want to learn more. One of them is at the English fireside event on Oct. 1 at Smith Hall firepit from 5-9 p.m. They also plan on screening a movie set in Ireland sometime later this fall. Otherwise, Ritzenthaler and Johnson encourage students to reach out if they are interested in joining at melanie.ritzenthaler@doane.edu and brad.johnson@doane.edu.
“All Doane students have access to a one-thousand-dollar travel scholarship,” Ritzenthaler said. “Whether for this trip or another, I would encourage students to utilize it while at Doane. Travel is a great learning opportunity that cannot be replicated on campus.”
