What happens when you give high school students from rural West Tennessee more than just a seat in a classroom? What happens when you give them a passport, a journal, a college course, and a world-class itinerary?

They don’t just see the world, they begin to understand it.

From June 23-July 4, twelve Bethel University Dual Enrollment students from Obion County, Tennessee, traveled with Global Citizen Adventure Corps across three countries – England, France, and Switzerland – as part of a transformative study abroad program made possible by the generosity of the Kirkland Foundation and the Union City Rotary Club.

 

Why This Trip Mattered

This wasn’t a vacation. It was a living classroom, one that stretched from the cobblestones of London to the Alps of Lucerne.
Students in our program completed an online college course before ever boarding a plane. Through Bethel University, they learned the history, politics, culture, and art of the countries they would soon visit. They completed reading assignments and quizzes. They packed not only suitcases, but also the knowledge and curiosity needed to truly engage with the places they were about to see.

The capstone to this course? A journey that brought their studies to life: London. Paris. Lucerne.

 

A Vision Years in the Making

Here’s something beautiful: the Kirkland Foundation started the travel fund that supported this program in the very year these students were born. Robert and Jenny Kirkland had a vision for Obion County youth: that they would have access to opportunities that extended beyond their zip code. That they would explore the world, experience new cultures, and gain the kind of education that only travel can provide.

This program is the embodiment of that vision. And these students? They’re the proof that it’s working.

 

What They Saw and What They Learned

In London, students watched the centuries-old tradition of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, strolled across the iconic Tower Bridge, explored the edgy street art of Leake Street Arches, and shopped their way through the vibrant Portobello and Camden Markets. They saw Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre – a show that sparked discussions about revolution, identity, and democracy.

In Paris, they attended Mass at Notre Dame, stood in awe inside the Louvre, toured the opulent Palace of Versailles, and cruised the Seine at sunset. They even stepped into a Parisian kitchen to make their own macarons, proof that learning comes in many flavors.

In Lucerne, they crossed the historic Kapellbrücke, rode a cogwheel train up the world’s steepest track on the Golden Round Trip, and stood breathless atop Jungfraujoch, known as the “Top of Europe.” The Alps reminded us all of how small we are, and how big our dreams can be.

Each experience layered academic understanding with emotional connection. Students weren’t just studying art history, they were standing before the Mona Lisa. They weren’t just reading about monarchy, they were walking the halls of Versailles. They weren’t just discussing cross-cultural competence, they were practicing it.

 

Travel as Education—and Transformation

Study abroad programs like this one do more than build memories or fill Instagram feeds (though there was plenty of that too). They build leaders. They stretch comfort zones. They deepen empathy and broaden perspectives. Students return not only changed, but charged with a greater understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

And let’s be honest: It wasn’t always easy. The weather was brutally hot. The crowds were intense. Jet lag is real. Trains do not always run on time (and sometimes, they just stop running). But our students faced every challenge with resilience, curiosity, and courage.

Much of that credit goes to our incredible chaperones, George Leake and Shiloh Kail Leake, the behind-the-scenes MVPs of this journey. Whether students were tired, overwhelmed, homesick, or just plain hot, George and Shiloh were there with a solution and a smile. George’s phone tells us we walked over 80 miles on this trip and they walked every one of them with purpose, humor, and patience. Their steady presence made this whirlwind experience not only manageable, but magical.

 

Why I Keep Saying Yes

I often find myself stunned that this is my real life. That I get to do this … to walk beside young people as they step out into the world and discover their strength, their potential, their belonging.

To the Kirkland Foundation, to Union City Rotary, to Bethel University, to GCAC, to our chaperones, and most of all, to these brave and beautiful students: thank you. You remind me why this work matters. Why travel is education. Why global citizenship is for everyone, no matter where they’re from.

And to those of you reading this—teachers, donors, parents, Rotarians, community leaders – please keep investing in programs like this one. The return is immeasurable.

Because when rural students see the world, they don’t just grow. They lead.