School of Journalism and Media major Alex Carpenter could not help but get emotional while walking the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, this summer.
The historic golf course is considered the birthplace of modern golf. Carpenter loves the game and has fond memories of golfing and watching tournaments with his grandparents.
“Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer are all greats who stood where I was at St. Andrews,” Carpenter said. “It puts the course into perspective, which is larger than life, and drives me to want to cover golf one day or simply get better at the game itself.”
School of Journalism and Media Assistant Professor Guy Harrison said this was the first time students toured the Old Course as part of the school’s Sports Communication in the UK study abroad program. He was excited to offer students a chance to tour the historic golf course. He said several students expressed visiting the course as a bucket list item.
“I was very pleased with this year’s group,” Harrison said. “This year’s itinerary was the busiest, most condensed schedule this program has had and yet this group was always up for the day’s adventures.”
The annual study abroad program exposes students to British sports culture and history and teaches them about sports communication practices in the United Kingdom. It includes touring iconic sports venues around England and Scotland, attending sporting events, and learning about sports communication practices from different UK sports media professionals from organizations such as The Guardian and the DAZN Television Network.
Students attend classes but also work on various hands-on projects as part of the study abroad program. This includes producing content for the trip’s Instagram account and writing sports features for the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Harrison said this year’s group was the largest in program history. Most were journalism and media majors but students from majors such as communication studies, marketing, sports management, kinesiology, and business analytics also participated this year. Harrison said the variety of majors present added fresh perspectives to group discussions.
Traveling to the UK this summer was School of Journalism and Media major Sarah Portanka’s first time studying abroad and visiting another country. An aspiring sports feature writer, the journalism and media major always wanted to participate in a study abroad program. The sports-themed nature of the UK study abroad program made it a “no brainer” for her to sign up.
She enjoyed learning about different sports cultures, and finding similarities between the British and American sports fanbases. She worked with other students to compare the sports culture of rugby to American football for her final project. Carpenter was part of that group, adding he also enjoyed learning about a new sport and having the opportunity to showcase what he learned.
“We were ecstatic to find out that our stories would be published in the Knoxville News Sentinel, which motivated us to do our very best,” Carpenter said. “The professional opportunities provided by this trip were truly unlike any other; they will diversify my portfolio going forward, and I believe my group did a great job on the story.”
Portanka encourages anyone thinking about studying abroad to consider doing so, adding it might be the best decision one can make.
“It’s weeks later and I still miss it so much and am constantly talking about the things I learned and did,” Portanka said. “Studying abroad challenges you on a level that a trip or vacation can’t …At the end of the day, it is what you make it, so if you go into it eager to learn and grow, then you will.”