Sophomore Expedition Program destination announced for Class of 2026
On their first day of Orientation, in between moving into their new residence-hall homes and getting to know their classmates, the Class of 2026 participated in a game of “Operation Guess-tination.”
New students — along with their families and Cedar Crest faculty and staff — placed their pins on a world map to guess the location of the 2024 Carmen Twillie Ambar Sophomore Expedition, a short-term study abroad opportunity for all sophomores funded almost entirely by the College.
After naming destinations across the globe, from Germany to Japan all the way to Antarctica, the Cedar Crest community gathered for the Open Door Ceremony, a beloved Cedar Crest tradition during which each incoming first-year student steps up to the microphone to introduce herself to the crowd.
Following the procession of students and remarks from College leadership, President Meade revealed the Expedition location: Dublin, Ireland!
“The Sophomore Expedition is the single most impactful experience I have ever witnessed in higher education. Through this transformational global experience, our students are exposed to new cultures and are challenged to step outside of their comfort zones. I am so proud that this opportunity is offered exclusively as part of a Cedar Crest education.” – Cedar Crest College President Elizabeth Meade, Ph.D.
All members of the Class of 2026 who are in good standing with the school will be able to participate in the Sophomore Expedition. The week-long trip to Dublin will take place in the spring of 2024 with travel, lodging, and meals fully funded by the College. The Sophomore Expedition is part of Cedar Crest’s commitment to building global perspectives.
The trip is both academic and experiential. Dublin was chosen for its rich history, literary heritage, and its young and diverse population. Courses will be based on varied themes from history, politics, arts, humanities, science, and technology.
The trip offers students interaction with locals through service-learning opportunities. Through past service-learning experiences, students have visited schools, women’s shelters, community centers, and health care facilities, and have worked together to cultivate a communal garden, clean up the canals of London via kayak, and more.
“The Sophomore Expedition is not just a one-off experience, it is something that we want to inform their whole journey as college students. I see a wide variety of students go on this trip. Some have a lot of travel experience; some have no travel experience. But one thing that we see universally is that when students come back from this trip, they have a greater understanding of different cultures. Many students, especially the ones who had not been abroad before, come back with a desire to do further travels and to pursue further service-learning opportunities.” – Kelly Hall, Ph.D., director of global initiatives at Cedar Crest.
In its first few years, the program has proven to be a transformative experience for students, encouraging them to consider other international study and internship opportunities in the future. The Class of 2024’s expedition to Marrakesh, Morocco took place in May of 2022, and the Class of 2025 will head to Rome, Italy in March of 2023. Previous Sophomore Expedition destinations include Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Athens, Greece; London, England; and San José, Costa Rica.
“More than any other experience, I saw the students bloom on this trip,” says Hall, of the Morocco Expedition. “Travel is something where you have to be adaptable, and I think the students truly benefited from this cultural experience.”
To learn more about the Sophomore Expedition, visit www.cedarcrest.edu/global.