Very few of us will ever share Sheena McFarland’s experience of uncovering our ethnic identity as adults (see today’s feature section). For the vast majority, our ethnic heritage has always been a part of our lives and is we easily take it for granted.

However, McFarland’s journey of self discovery in India represents something every U student can experience, even if on a smaller scale.

Other students traveling with the Kotwara Project have also set off on personal journeys. Although they may lack McFarland’s intensely personal connection, students traveling abroad have the chance to learn a language, become acquainted with a foreign culture, taste things they never thought of eating before, and above all else, learn about themselves and their cultures by reflection.

In fact, one doesn’t need to travel abroad for these experiences. One simply needs to do.

Experiential learning is a powerful educational tool, and an often voluntary one. Many academic programs require internship hours, and with good reason. Classes and theory play a role, but no substitute exists for getting your hands dirty.

However, the opportunities from which students stand to gain the most do not appear in course catalogs or on lists of major requirements.

Tucked in nooks and crannies all over campus, travel and study abroad options wait for willing students. The Hinckley Institute of Politics, which already offers a plethora of internships, continues to broaden its reach by including placements in foreign countries. Unfortunately, heightened conflict has placed internships in Israel on hold.

The Bennion Center can connect students with any number of service projects, both locally and internationally. And the service learning program keeps growing.

What you get out of your education depends largely on what you put in. Students should take advantage of the many unique programs offered at the U, of student travel discounts, and of the flexibility and freedom of youth. These experiences influence the quality of our university, our lives and our society.