(Photo by: Jasmine Mills)

Going to college and starting your adult life comes with new opportunities and experiences, and students can get that once-in-a-lifetime adventure through JCCC’s Study Away program.

Study Away is “an opportunity to take your education outside of JCCC,” according to the JCCC website. Students have the option to study abroad or visit different parts of the U.S. while earning class credits.

The programs are thoroughly vetted and held to a high safety standard. Before leaving, students will “attend information sessions, so you know exactly what you need and what to expect,” according to their website.

Professor Britt Benjamin and Professor Audrey Michaelis are taking students from FASH 224 and beyond to Paris this summer.

“[Students] have to apply, interview and be accepted,” Benjamin said. “[Students will] learn fashion history in the capital of Western fashion.”

Participants will earn three class credits for going on the trip. During the trip, students will explore, participate in excursions and workshops and explore some on their own.

“[I want to provide] an experience that will elevate the learning and open students to another culture.  I wish I had the ability to do this trip in college,” Benjamin said.

The trip to Paris will be offered again in May of 2027. Benjamin and Michaelis will also be hosting a NYC trip this September and are continuing to search for more opportunities.

Associate Professor Erin Gould and Dr. Gideon Ney are taking students to Hawai’i in late 2026. Students will be there from Dec. 15 to Dec. 22 and study biological and cultural diversity.

“We will be doing things like snorkeling, taking hikes and discussing our findings, but we will also be visiting museums and cultural centers on O’ahu to continue these conversations about diversity of life and culture,” Gould said.

Students will earn two credits for this class, one biology credit and one global engagement credit. Students will be responsible for paying for both credits through the college.

“For the program itself, the cost overall is $2,365, with an initial $500 deposit paid as soon as students are accepted into the program,” Gould said. “Additionally, students will need to bring their own spending money for meals over the course of the days away.”

Gould is excited to be taking students on this trip and, as a professor, is always looking for new ways to teach students about important topics.

“I’m taking students on this trip because I’m looking forward to discussing culture in a place that is technically part of the United States, but has a very unique history when compared to places like Kansas or Missouri,” Gould said. “I am always happy to think further about how culture shapes our worldview. I also thought it sounded like a great program where we’d get to discuss the complexity of our world with students.”

Professor Ashley Lindeman is also taking students on a Study Away trip. She, as well as Professor Aaron Tate, will be taking students to Los Angeles, California, where participants will earn three humanities credits.

Students still have the opportunity to apply and can look forward to visiting Hammer Museum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Broad Museum, Grand Central Market and many other places.

“We are looking at $2,250 plus tuition and some meals plus travel to [and] from the KCI airport. Most of that goes towards airfare, accommodation, admission fees and ground transportation,” Lindeman said.

Lindeman and Tate want to take students to LA because it is an ideal domestic location for introduction to humanities students.

“It’s a city concentrated in arts and culture. Being able to visit art museums, learn first-hand about the film and music industries and explore the architecture of the city is so meaningful when grasping the significance of the humanities,” Lindeman said. “Los Angeles is the perfect location for students who aren’t ready to travel abroad and want to stay a little closer to home in between semesters.”

The first time Lindeman stepped foot on an airplane was to travel to Italy on a student abroad trip and she never looked back. Now she gets to do the same thing for students at JCCC.

“That trip changed my life, and it was the beginning of my journey [to] becoming an art historian. I was poor and anxiety-ridden while working two jobs and taking 12 credit hours, but my professors at the time stressed the life-changing opportunity travel can provide,” Lindeman said.

JCCC offers opportunities to visit Tokyo, Japan, New York, Greece, Mexico and many other places. Students can explore other options on the JCCC Traveler Dashboard.