Office of Public Relations
Missouri Baptist University
One College Park Drive
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141-8698
314.392.2307 / fax 314.392.2265
www.mobap.edu / pr@mobap.edu

For Immediate Release

RE: Study Abroad: Castles for Credit

Study Abroad: Castles for Credit

September 9, 2005

John Whitacre

Missouri Baptist University senior John Whitacre spent this past summer living in a Victorian castle, taking in weeks of theater in Europe’s age-old venues, backpacking to more than a half a dozen of the continent’s most breathtaking countries and enjoying a view atop the Eiffel Tower.

And all the while, Whitacre accrued college credits for his unforgettable summer voyage.

“I just enjoyed being open minded and learning about different cultures,” said Whitacre, who plans to graduate this December with a double major in business administration and management. “I was able to invest in my future by traveling around Europe only knowing English. I think it has really prepared me to be responsible.”

Whitacre is one of an increasing number of MBU students who are opting to trade in a traditional classroom setting for a semester overseas, relishing in different cultures and countries for an unforgettable stint of their college career.

Through consortiums and partnerships, MBU students now have the option to study in nearly a dozen countries, from Cuba to Australia and beyond.

“Study abroad provides a profound application of sociology, psychology, economics history, health and maturity in a real-life laboratory,” said Robert S. Kilzer, director of MBU’s study abroad program. “Regardless of the country or culture, over a semester or a summer, each student returns transformed in ways that would take a lifetime here in the states.”

Whitacre opted to spend his time abroad studying theater at the Harlaxton College in Grantham, England, a decision that allowed him to fulfill another lifelong dream—with backpacking throughout Europe.

For five weeks out of his nearly two-month stint in Europe, Whitacre studied theater in a myriad of notable venues across Europe, including William Shakespeare’s birthplace.

“I chose to take the theater class because I thought I would provide an excellent opportunity to expand my cultural horizons,” Whitacre said. “I attended performances all over England, which gave me the chance to see a great deal of the country.”

At night, Whitacre rested his head inside a Victorian castle just miles from the famed Sherwood Forest, about 100 miles north of London.

After his coursework concluded, Whitacre opted to stay in Europe for another three weeks, traveling thousands of miles solo via Eurail, the continent’s largest public transportation system. Whitacre bounced from country to country, staying in a multitude of inexpensive youth hostels.

The decision to venture the continent alone may have been the biggest learning experience of the trip, Whitacre said.

“Traveling by train and staying in youth hostels required a new level of responsibility for me since I was in charge of making sure I hade a place to sleep each night,” he said. “I also had to coordinate what time to take the train to each city and allow myself enough time in each placed to see everything I wanted to see.”

Now in his last semester at MBU, Whitacre believes the decision to study abroad not only supplemented his college experience, it completed it.

“I learned so many things about myself and the history of Europe and England,” Whitacre said. “I fee like a more complete, capable and responsible person now.”

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Missouri Baptist University is a premier Christian university in Saint Louis, offering graduate and undergraduate studies in over thirty specialized fields and nine degrees. MBU's education and fine arts programs are nationally known in addition to business, religion, administration of justice, and more. MBU is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Missouri with an enrollment of over 4,500 students at five locations in the bi-state region — West County, Lincoln County, Jefferson County, Franklin County and the new Illinois extension at Lewis and Clark Community College.

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