Imagine yourself traveling through the jungles of Africa, going on a safari and feeding primates that you read about in your anthropology textbooks. You’re visiting Omaha beach in France, an important WWII landmark that you learned about in your history classes. Now you’re at the Great Wall of China, a place you never thought you would see with your own eyes. 

With the study abroad programs offered at EC, students have been able to make these dreams a reality. 

EC offers the opportunity for students to travel to different countries and partake in the academic experience that this program offers. Some of the recent trips have included studies in France, Australia, Italy, Spain, and Africa.

This summer EC is offering trips to Madrid, Spain, Florence, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland.

“You gain personal enrichment. You see the culture in the field. Museums, history, sociology, architecture, tasting the foods, observing the behavior, all at once,” Rosella Pescatori, Italian professor, said. “It is the experience of a life time.”

Pescatori will be the instructor for the two courses offered for the Florence trip this summer, Italian culture and Italian conversation.

Melissa Van Brunt, 22, communications major, was a part of the Paris trip offered last summer and is partaking in the Florence trip this summer. 

 “Going to Paris was the summer that changed me,” Van Brunt said. “I hope to gain the same experience I had in France, if not more.”

By studying abroad, it offers students the opportunity to break away from academic routine and gain personal growth. 

 “I think everyone should go abroad, it should be mandatory,” Chris Valencia, 22, political science major, said. Valencia has traveled abroad to China summer 2009, France summer 2010 and is also traveling to Italy this summer. 

 “I am now more confident with myself. Before this, I was close-minded but when I went to china I realized there is a whole new world out there and now I just want to see it all.” Valencia said.

 “Our goal and mission is to show students what the world is about outside of our borders,” Dr. Gloria Miranda, dean of study abroad, said. “Many of our students come back with the motivation to continue and complete their education.”

Due to the upcoming budget cuts, the college wants to focus on cutting classes that are not core curriculum classes, Miranda said. 

“Over the last six years we have been cutting back, we used to offer semester long programs but now only summer and winter programs,” Miranda said. “There is a high possibility that we won’t be offering any abroad programs next year, but we are very fortunate to have three this summer filled and successfully ready to go.”

The program, mainly funded by the students, averages $5,000 for the month long trip. This fee covers room and board, tuition, books, airfare, and other expenses that may be needed. 45 students on average enroll, making it a high impacted program.  

Students who have been a part of past programs are sad to see the terrible news that this program may face.

 “I would definitely go on another trip if I had the money to do it again, I wouldn’t even think about it twice,” Ariana Acevedo 21, English major, said. Acevedo traveled with EC this past summer to France.

“People don’t really understand that this experience really changes you for the better and if they do cut this program it’s going to cut this opportunity that every student should have. That was a summer I will never forget.”

There are high hopes from advisors and alumni’s that this program will continue to stay during the troubled financial times California is facing. 

 “We really hope that we can have this opportunity again, but with the cuts it’s difficult to know if we will,” Pescatori said.