Cora Reese

Q: What school are you at? How did you hear about it?

A: I’m at the Traveling School! I heard about it from the Global Programs office posting the last call to apply on Schoology.

Q: Why did you choose your school in particular?

A: I chose it because I liked the fact that it’s small, taught and run by women, and that there isn’t a set campus which means you get to see a lot of different places. 

Q: If you were to briefly summarize your experience so far to someone who hasn’t gone, how would you describe it?

A: Over three and a half months, we traveled from Bozeman, Montana to Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming, and then ended up in Arizona where we are now. We talk to a lot of local people, especially people who are working towards social issues like food sovereignty, immigration, etc, and people who are members of tribal nations and often work on social issues too. We really talk to as many people as we can to get diverse perspectives on local issues related to the environment, people, power, politics, colonialism, and a ton more. 

Q: What makes your semester school different from UPrep?

A: The Traveling School is super different from UPrep because I think it prevents you from being in any sort of bubble. We go see so many different things, meet so many people, and spend so much time together in places that you get to know a place that started out unfamiliar super well. You also get to know your classmates way better than at UPrep because you live together the entire time and do absolutely everything together. All of our learning is basically readings for context, getting thrown into new situations, asking questions and absorbing everything we can, then coming back to wherever we’re camping that day and talking about it together. It’s really cool to see everyone’s different perspectives and opinions because we’ve all come from different parts of the world and everyone’s backgrounds are totally different. 

Q: Do you recommend a semester away? Why or why not?

A: I highly recommend a semester away because it’s a nice break from normal school and also gave me more of a scope of how my life fits into national and international politics as well as my relationship to issues outside of my immediate world. I feel like it also lets me understand where people are coming from when they have different opinions from my own and really think about how/where they might’ve developed those opinions. It’s also really fun to see all these new beautiful places, connect with so many people, and feel more independent.