Third-year applied health science Major and science-business minor, Peyton Yoshida, took the trip of a lifetime as a student of the Semester at Sea program in the fall of 2022. For those who may be unfamiliar, Semester at Sea is classified as “a multi-country study abroad program on a ship open to all students of all majors, emphasizing global comparative study,” according to the Semester at Sea website.
Yoshida was able to experience 11 countries on three different continents. She said that her favorite area she got to travel to was Croatia, “where she walked the walls of Dubrovnik and cliff jumped with friends.” Although there were days dedicated to classroom learning, students like Yoshida were able to engage with a variety of cultures, sceneries and people on and off of the ship.
Yoshida said that her abnormal psychology class was able to visit a mental health hospital while stopped in Kenya. They toured the facility and talked with employees there, who explained the role that mental health plays in their culture.
“As an aspiring medical professional, it touched me how above and beyond the workers went for their patients and how they incorporated spiritual healing into their treatment plans,” Yoshida said.
Yoshida was able to find balance in the midst of traveling and being a student.
“We only had class at sea, which made lots of time to explore the locations we went to. Pretty much everywhere we went, we would use hotel or coffee shop wifi to get work done,” Yoshida said.
Community also had played a role in her studies. “Having friends who also wanted to do well was motivating for me,” Yoshida said.
Although spending the semester at Sea took her out of her comfort zone, Yoshida believes that it was well worth it.
“Being pushed into the discomfort of new situations is where you will grow the most. It helps that everyone around you is going through the same thing, so lean on each other!” Yoshida said.
Yoshida was able to experience 11 countries, gain first-hand knowledge of the medical field from a global perspective and meet new people while studying abroad last semester. For more information on studying abroad, visit the study abroad office in Nicholson Commons or check out their website at pointloma.edu.
Written By: Megan Lonsdale
Katie Kepler 
Steve Anderson