A new year means new resolutions. From vision boards to hand-written bucket lists, a common goal on everyone’s 2024 agenda is to finally brush the cobwebs off their passport and see the world. 

Last month, Penn State students and faculty took this goal quite seriously and embarked on a study-abroad trip to the southernmost point of the world: Antarctica. 

The trip was part of a new embedded course offered at University Park and is the first Penn State class to include a trip to Antarctica within its curriculum. The course was developed by Ag Sciences Global and the Environmental Resource Management program in partnership with American Universities International Programs, Virginia Tech, and SUNY Brockport.

Participating students took the pre-trip course on campus in the fall of 2023 where they learned about the landscape, sustainability concerns, and the overall historical background of the Antarctic region. Then, during winter break, the class put its hard work and new knowledge to use during a two-week voyage to the Antarctic peninsula. 

Autumn Swain, a fourth-year biorenewable systems major, shared how she was initially drawn to this trip because of her love of travel. After having a meeting with her advisor sophomore year, she knew she couldn’t pass up this one-of-a-kind study abroad opportunity. 

“I had a meeting with my advisor and she said that there was a trip in the works to Antarctica. That was actually the first time I ever heard that you could even go to Antarctica. I didn’t even know it was open to tourists,” Swain said. “My bucket list goal is to go to every single continent, so Antarctica was a big one to cross off my list.”

To reach the remote area of Antarctica, the students had to first fly to the southernmost point of Argentina, a town called Ushuaia. From there, the group sailed for 2.5 days across the rough waters of the Drake Passage and finally reached the continent. 

From hanging out with fellow shipmates to attending onboard lectures run by experts in a variety of fields, there were boundless activities to fill each day aboard the ship. Swain explained that due to the ideal weather conditions during their trip, each day also consisted of frequent boat rides and landings on the peninsula itself.  

“Throughout each day, there were two different times that a certain group would get called down, get changed, and hop on a zodiac boat, which is like a dingy boat,” Swain said. “It was mixed every day, but usually, it was one cruise and two landings because we had really good weather. For the landings, they had areas pre-marked with red flags, and it was usually just a walk to see penguins.” 

The daily zodiac cruises not only allowed the group to get a better view of the icebergs lining the continent but also allowed them to see native wildlife up close. From penguins to whales and seals, the waters surrounding the peninsula were teeming with life. 

“My favorite memory is when we were in Leith Cove, Paradise Bay, and we were whale watching from a zodiac,” Gwen Cullen, a fourth-year energy and business finance major, said. “We turned off the motor and watched the whales in silence. It was the most amazing thing to see multiple whales interacting with each other, and some coming within 10 feet of our zodiac.”

Senior agricultural sciences major Dan Allen had a similar experience, as he shared the joy he felt being in a new area of the world and getting to see penguins in their natural habitat. 

“The days I spent in Antarctica were some of the best of my life. My favorite memory was watching penguins porpoise out of the water right next to our U-boat,” Allen said.

Dr. Tammy Shannon, academic advising coordinator for the environmental resource management major, was one of the Penn State faculty members who coordinated and led the trip. She described her first time sailing the Antarctic waters and how the icy landscape was truly unlike anything she had ever experienced. 

“An experience in Antarctica that will stay with me for the rest of my life was when we first boarded the zodiac boats to explore the vast dark water, floating ice all around us, and tasting a splash of salt water across my face, bringing me instantly into the moment and the reality of being at the bottom of the earth in Antarctica,” Dr. Shannon said. “The vastness of the ocean and landscape was unlike anything we could have prepared for ahead of time. There is no comparison to the uniqueness of Antarctica and the unpredictability of the environment.”

The trip wasn’t all play, as students were assigned to one of four research areas and had to consistently collect data throughout the trip. Swain explained the varying research topics students could choose from and her experience researching the “coolest” part of the Antarctic landscape. 

“There were four modules: sea birds, cryosphere, ecotourism, and oceanography. I was in the cryosphere module, which focused on ice and icebergs, and so four different times throughout the day we would fill out datasheets,” Swain said. “For icebergs, we would go out on the observation deck and count how many icebergs there were, take pictures, and record what percentage of water was covered in ice in general. For glaciers, we would take photos and those were uploaded to a database.”

The data collected on the trip is set to act as a benchmark for future voyages, so researchers can compare past and present data and images to identify any changes within the Antarctic region.

Despite the gorgeous views of icebergs and penguin colonies, Swain said her biggest takeaway from the trip was how Antarctica reflects the amount of goodwill still present in our world today. She explained that Antarctica is being preserved and protected by the goodness of other countries and said it’s refreshing to see the world collectively respect the beauty of such a unique place. 

If the trip was to be offered again in the near future, Swain says she’ll recommend the experience to anyone, no matter the major. She made it clear that students shouldn’t be deterred by the remote location of the trip and should consider taking part in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

“I would recommend it 1,000 times over, especially as a college student because it gives you a different perspective on life that a lot of people don’t get,” Swain said. “It’s an experience you will never forget. I tell everyone there are really no words to put on the trip. It was so surreal.”