SUU students and faculty traveled to Bogota, Colombia over Spring Break from March 9-17. There, they experienced the rich culture Colombia had to offer through a variety of activities.
Professor Jonathan Holiman alongside the communication department organized the trip. Operations Manager of the SUU Journal Hayden Coombs and Director of Recruitment for Central and Southern America Kendall Wilkey were among some of the faculty on the trip.
SUU students and faculty had the opportunity to spend a day at Politécnico Grancolombiano, one of Bogota’s private universities. They were able to interact with the students one-on-one, learn about their culture firsthand and discuss what their educational, social, and ordinary day-to-day life was like.
Colombian college life looks different than college life in Cedar City. Camillo, a junior at Politecnico University is studying International Business.
“I spend 40 minutes on the bus to get here, and I stay on campus for about five hours a day,” he said.
Touring the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira was another unique experience. The underground salt mine had been partially transformed into a Catholic Cathedral, while the rest of the mine is still functioning.
“The structures and statues were beautiful and it was a very neat and unique experience,” Ashlyn Hill, freshman studying biology, said.
Colombia is famous for coffee, so touring the Hacienda Coloma Coffee Farm was another activity the group couldn’t miss out on. The group was educated on how coffee plants are grown, harvested and processed.
Holiman, a true coffee lover, was excited about the experience. “I loved the Hacienda Coloma coffee farm because it gave us a good idea of the working process the coffee bean goes through before it reaches your coffee cup.”
Other highlights of the trip included visiting La Candelaria, a historic part of Bogota, and Monserrate, a famous Catholic church.
All in all, the trip was an unforgettable experience. Reilly Albert, a student from Minnesota studying geography, perfectly summarized the trip:
“Our trip to Colombia was so well organized that it made for a great week of exploring and making new friends.”
SUU offers dozens of other activities during school breaks at a fraction of the price of study abroad programs. Students interested in learning more about alternative breaks can visit the website for a complete list.
Story By: Elizabeth Armstrong
outdoors@suunews.net
Feature Photo Courtesy of Wyatt Larsen
