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The Residence Hall Manager Service: A tool kit for hall directors with over 230 resources. |
My Experiences with Semester At Sea: A Personal and Professional Journey
By Tere Valenzuela, Resident Director, UCLA
A couple of years ago I finally decided to apply to be a staff member for the Semester at Sea Program. Semester at Sea was an opportunity I had heard about back in 1994, during my first year as a student affair’s professional. In the summer of 2002, I was chosen as one of eight Resident Directors for the 2003 Spring Voyage around the world. Knowing only half of what was in store for me, I said goodbye to family, friends, co-workers and staff, and headed on to my new adventure. The ship housed 650 students, approximately 100 university staff, and three hundred crewmembers. We sailed from Miami, Florida, towards Nassau, Bahamas on January 20, 2003.
Traveling has always interested me, but the most I had ever traveled before was Ohio to visit family and my regular trips back to Mexico City. I have had dreams of visiting Italy, of immersing myself in the culture and then deciding never to return. I also dreamt of becoming a flight attendant, for the simple fact that I would be traveling most of the time. In many ways, I wanted to explore the world and experience different people and different cultures, so when I learned that I could travel, get paid, and continue to work with students while visiting different countries, I knew the journey was for me. Ever since I found out about the Semester at Sea program, I wanted to do it, so towards the end of my Master’s program, I decided to finally apply.
The Semester at Sea program is offered through the Institute of Shipboard Education, at the University of Pittsburg. I joined the 80th voyage on board the SS Universe Explorer, a ship that will be retired this fall to make room for another ship providing more benefits for students and staff. Initially known as the University of the Seven Seas and then as World Campus Afloat, the first voyage occurred after much planning and tribulation in the winter of 1926. It lasted seven months and visited over ninety cities in thirty-five countries. The program was re-named Semester at Sea in 1977. It has a long history of education, academic success, and international experience, not to mention thousands of priceless stories from the many people who have been able to make Semester at Sea part of their academic, personal, and professional development.
The philosophy behind Semester at Sea’s mission is simple, but speaks volumes. It is to educate, develop and provide valuable experiences for individuals through direct contact with people and other cultures. It is hoped that through these experiences, an individual begins a lifetime of learning and comprehending similarities and differences within the world. The program offers voyages in the fall and spring semesters and has special voyages in the summer, sometimes focusing on one kind of study. Students, faculty, and staff can access the website and find out about the history, the experience, and above all the journey that is Semester at Sea at www.semesteratsea.com. Family members can also access the website to find out the exact location of the ship, get updates on countries visited, and post messages for students, or anyone else on board.
The Resident Director position is one of many positions available on-board the ship. The position requires a combination of education and experience, as well as knowledge in student development theory. I was selected to the position after a phone interview with the Director of Student Life. The interview was only the beginning of the process of preparing me for the voyage. I also had to acquire visas for five of the countries on our itinerary. I got passport photos, immunization shots, books, advice, and lists of helpful things while traveling. I also packed journals and going away gifts from friends and family. At the same time, I prepared to leave my position at work. I was fortunate to be able to take a leave of absence from work for four months and was supported by my department and university in making this part of my professional development. Finally, in January of 2003, I boarded the SS Universe Explorer on the way to adventure.
As a Resident Director on board the ship, I worked hard, but it is difficult comparing it to my work on land. I worked while enjoying an amazing view of the sunset sitting on the deck by the pool. I worked in a small workspace – which allowed me to easily greet everyone on board daily. Most of all, I worked while venturing to unknown places in the world. I also learned about other schools and other programs as my colleagues all had residential life experience in different parts of the country, and they became a very important part of my experience. We now keep in touch by e-mail, phone, at conferences and by visiting each other whenever possible. Our community covered the almost every age in the spectrum as it included children of faculty/staff, our students, crewmembers and senior passengers. We found ourselves with enough time to really converse and get to know each other. We exchanged stories. We talked about our commonalities, and the experience allowed us to share feelings deeper than what colleagues usually share.
My work with students was rewarding as well. I was in charge of a community of sixty-eight students, but, in reality, we took responsibility for all of the students on board the ship. We were mentors, supervisors to work-study students, authority figures during security checks and boat drills, friends during a game night or a dance. Being student-oriented came in handy when dealing with large numbers of them in close quarters. Occasional conduct issues arose, but nothing more than what I had seen on my home campus. The feeling was different since the students sought us out to process their ongoing experiences, and sometimes you were part of their tour group or traveled interdependently with them in the countries. The interaction with them was different from that on a campus, but I did not expect anything less than that.
I met wonderful people from all over the world while seeing their countries. From having an audience with Fidel Castro in Cuba, to staying overnight with a family in Japan, the voyage was an adventure never to be forgotten. I danced Salsa in the middle of the street in Havana. I realized I could understand Portuguese through my Spanish while visiting Brazil. I saw cigars made and enjoyed the best cup of coffee in Bahia. I overlooked Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain, and realized just how far I was from home. We chased a cheetah in a Safari van in Tanzania. I stood in front of the Taj Mahal in India, and I still swear it looked just like a postcard. I visited the Atomic Bomb museum in Nagasaki, and renewed my hope for peace between people. My friends and I found our way to an Amethyst cave in South Korea, without a tour guide or English language directions. I ate fish for breakfast in Japan and watched the cherry blossoms bloom. I stayed with a family in Osaka and made friends that I know I will have for life. I went on a helicopter ride in Alaska and whale watching off the coast of Seward. My parents met me in the port in Canada, two days before I was due back in Seattle. When I saw them, I felt too many things, all at once. I was extremely happy to see them, but also thought about what I had experienced and realized I was almost done. I had left my loved ones behind for an amazing adventure, and the word adventure meant a lot more than what it had a few months back. I also thought of myself as much stronger for being able to leave loved ones behind and take the risk to explore the unknown world.
While I missed my family and friends greatly, and wondered about the staff and work I left behind, the traveling experience made me more confident in the work I do everyday. I literally learned how to navigate in every situation imaginable on a ship, or on foreign land. The experience away from my world, solidified me as a person, pointed out some of my values and beliefs, and tested my limits. We were at sea, on the way to Brazil, when the Shuttle exploded. We were leaving India when war was declared on Iraq. Our itinerary was changed because of the SARS virus, and, through all this, we learned to be flexible and make the best out of our situation. The voyage made the world seem smaller, but a lot more immense.
My experiences are enough for me to fill a book. My 2,500 pictures fit only on disk, and the updates I sent home with photos were enough to fill a 3-inch binder. I came back to fill my room with souvenirs, mementos, notes, and journals. Returning and settling back into my own world has taken some adjusting, but I would not trade the experience for anything in the world. Semester at Sea gave me an opportunity that only few can dream of and accomplish. It taught me that understanding the world leads to understanding where you stand in the world. I feel privileged to have had this opportunity, and only hope others take advantage of it. The world will never seem the same to you, after you have journeyed through it.
About the Author:
Tere Valenzuela is a native of Mexico City and has lived in California for over 20 years. She has worked in residential life for over eight years at Chico State and UCLA, where she earned her Bachelors Degree in English and Spanish Literature. She also worked as an admissions counselor for Pacific Oaks College, where she earned her Master's Degree in Human Development. She enjoys writing and traveling and hopes to do more of both in the future. You may reach her at mtvh02@hotmail.com