Tara Donnelly: World Traveler
Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica Tara Donnelly ’23, ’25 recently visited her seventh continent – all made possible by Texas A&M University’s Education Abroad. Housed on the College Station campus, Education Abroad encompasses a variety of international experiences and courses ranging from freshman to doctoral level. The program is available to all Aggies, including students at the Galveston campus. Donnelly hopes to spread the word, encouraging other students to take advantage of these life-changing opportunities to travel the world.
2022: North America & Australia
Starting Spring Break 2022, Donnelly was off to her first Education Abroad adventure to Costa Rica for a one-week community service and culture trip. Though Costa Rica is in Donnelly’s home continent of North America, it allowed her to test the waters of what the program had to offer. Donnelly and the group stayed a week at the Texas A&M University’s Soltis Center for Research and Education, a biological field station that also hosts the Galveston Campus’ Sea Camp each summer. Although initially hesitant about international travel, she found that traveling with other Aggies was safe and fun.
Donnelly’s next trip was over the winter break, taking her a little further from home, New Zealand and Australia, marking her second continent. She and the group first explored the more southern island of New Zealand before flying to Cairns, Australia. From there, they visited Lady Elliot Island, Donnelly’s favorite location of the trip, where the group went snorkeling, enjoying the company of local wildlife, including giant clams, manta rays, eels and dozens of sea turtles.
2023: South America & Antarctica
Donnelly’s third trip with Education Abroad took place during Thanksgiving Break, sending her to South America and Antarctica, her third and fourth continents. She flew from Houston to Buenos Aires, then to Ushuaia, Argentina, the world’s southernmost city.
From Ushuaia, Donnelly crossed the Drake Passage, an infamously rough body of water where the Pacific, Atlantic and Southern oceans meet. The group traveled on a cruise ship, and though Donnelly said it wasn’t as rough as she was expecting, she quickly learned that she gets seasick. The ship’s guest experience manager called the trip a “three out of ten” in terms of roughness.
In Antarctica, Donnelly came face-to-face with penguins, describing the experience “like falling into a ‘National Geographic magazine.” She said the landscape was pristine and largely untouched by humans – a surreal experience.
2024: Asia, Europe & Africa
Over Spring Break 2024 Donnelly traveled to India, marking her fifth continent, where she visited Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ranthambore and several smaller towns. The group visited temples and schools, played cricket, attended a cooking presentation, took a Bollywood dance class and went on a tiger safari.
During the winter break, Donnelly finally reached her sixth and seventh continents. On her way to Morocco, Donnelly explored Paris, France during a layover, where she enjoyed the local culture and saw the Notre-Dame Cathedral. After arriving at her final destination, she explored local textile shops and leather goods vendors in several Moroccan cities. She visited the Jardin Majorelle, a botanical garden in Marrakech, and toured the Sahara Desert by camel.
2025: A return to Europe
Although she visited every continent, Donnelly had one more trip in mind. Over Spring Break 2025, she traveled to Finland to learn about their culture and education system. She went to the cities of Rovaniemi and Helsinki, where she networked with teachers and other Finnish educational professionals. While there, Donnelly experienced one of the world’s natural wonders, the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.
“I got more out of these trips than I ever could have imagined and built relationships with people I would have never met otherwise,” Donnelly said. “I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to do this and have learned that it is a small world after all.”
About Education Abroad
With over 400 programs going to 110 countries, students can find the perfect program. Visit the Texas A&M’s Education Abroad website for more information.
“I got more out of these trips than I ever could have imagined and built relationships with people I would have never met otherwise. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to do this and have learned that it is a small world after all.”
Media Contact
Taylor Bounds
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