Nearly three dozen Kellogg Community College students, employees and community members traveled to Scandinavia to study abroad with KCC in May.
The group consisted of 23 students, six faculty members, five community members and one administrator, with the students choosing to focus their experience around one of three academic disciplines: hospitality, landscape photography or mental health.
History Professor Michelle Wright, who coordinates international travel opportunities at the College, said all three countries visited are in the Top 10 for mental health programs, offering students a great opportunity to see alternative ways to address mental well-being.
One of these alternatives that students were “blown away” by, Wright said, was a forest kindergarten – a kindergarten where teachers and students spend a good part of the day outside in a forest, learning how to collaboratively solve problems like how to cross a creek without getting wet.
“A number of students came to me after visiting the forest kindergarten on the second day of our trip and said if they did nothing else on this trip, the visit was worth every penny,” Wright said.
Something for everyone
Hospitality Professor Darcy Henning said Scandinavia is a great place to study tourism because it offers something for everyone.
“Visitors come for the history, culture, cities, outdoor activities and incredible scenery, making it an excellent example of how destinations attract different types of travelers and create memorable experiences,” Henning said.
Her students came away with a better understanding of both travel and themselves, she said, as many of them were pushed outside their comfort zones by traveling internationally, trying new foods, navigating unfamiliar places and experiencing different cultures.
“The trip also helped them see how the hospitality and tourism industry affects both visitors and local communities,” Henning said. “Most importantly, they returned with more confidence, a broader perspective and a greater appreciation for the world beyond their everyday experiences.”
Travel as transformation
The experience for Photography and Multimedia Professor Ryan Flathau’s students didn’t end when the group arrived back home, but continued via an exhibit which ran from June through August at the College, featuring more than three dozen photographs created during the trip.
Flathau – who led the students on the trip as part of his ART 220: Landscape Photography course – said the trip was primarily focused on Scandinavian urban centers, and he liked challenging his students to make photographs that represent the Scandinavian culture without the “stereotypical picturesque fiords.”
“Urban landscape photographs require chaotic elements, man-made geometry and artificial light, whereas traditional landscape photography focuses on less chaotic natural elements, organic lines and natural light,” Flathau said.
The Scandinavian countries tend to be relatively safe and English-language-friendly, as well, which made them a nice entry point for students who might have had anxiety about traveling internationally. It was important to provide students with a safe, comfortable and successful first international learning experience because international travel education “is transformation,” Flathau said.
“It offers the power to choose, opens a window to human nature, expands the mindset, changes cognitive thinking and offers recognition that regardless of the culture we are all interdependent on one another, all the while enriching the lives of individual learners and ultimately our community.”
International travel and KCC
The Scandinavia trip was just the latest of KCC’s many international travel opportunities for students and community members. The College last summer traveled with nearly 40 KCC choir members to the Baltics in June, touring Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on an international concert tour. That July the College sent more than a dozen participants on a KCC Theatre trip to perform at and experience the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
Next up is an INTL 210: International Travel-Culture course trip to Thailand scheduled for January 2027. For more information about the trip or other international travel opportunities at KCC, visit kellogg.edu/travel.
This article first appeared in the September 2026 edition of BruIN magazine. To read the issue online, please visit kellogg.edu/bruinmagazine.
