With her goal of becoming a physician’s assistant, Katie Moy couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shadow doctors during her senior year at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But shadowing doctors in a South African hospital not only gave her valuable real-world experience, it also gave her a unique perspective on the healthcare system she’s entering here at home.

“It was really interesting to see how healthcare works in other parts of the world. South Africa has free, universal healthcare, which I thought was amazing,” said Moy, who recently graduated with a minor in child health and well-being from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois. “I thought it was also important to see what different health issues people are struggling with. In Cape Town, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still very prevalent. Getting that perspective on health care was really valuable.”

Moy’s experience was one of many ACES faculty-led study abroad programs that take place over the university’s winter break. The programs allow students to explore interests related to their career goals while immersing themselves in a new culture.

“Since study abroad programs contribute to the four pillars of ACES — Experiential Learning, Leadership Enrichment, Global Engagement, and Inclusive Intelligence — students not only get those experiences in another country, they also develop skills they’ll bring back home with them as well,” said Ali Freter, director of ACES study abroad.

Freter added that winter break programs can be a good introduction to study abroad. 

“These shorter faculty-led programs have been a wonderful way to get students abroad. Often, students who do these short-term programs will go on to do a second program, maybe another short term or a full semester and summer.”

Passionate ACES faculty and staff will lead 7 unique programs during the 2025-2026 winter break, not including two programs open only to first-year ACES students. Current students should apply by June 15, 2025. 

Program Spotlight: South Africa

Moy was introduced to South Africa’s healthcare system by Jan Vipond. As the program’s leader for nearly 20 years, Vipond helped hundreds of students discover their passion for service learning by working with program partners in public health clinics, animal shelters, community gardens, community science centers, and many more fields. 

When Vipond first visited South Africa in 2007, she had the opportunity to engage with community resiliency efforts, inspiring her to develop a program through that lens.

“When my tour guide learned that I was affiliated with an agricultural campus and university, he took me off the regular tourist track and into child care centers, health clinics, and community gardens,” she said. “It was the most amazing experience for me, and helped me realize how wonderful it would be if HDFS had its own study abroad program.”

Vipond led her last ACES program in January 2024. HDFS instructor Kate Abney, a University of Cape Town graduate and assistant dean for strategic international initiatives in The Grainger College of Engineering, will take over the South Africa program this winter. 

Although the program is led by HDFS faculty, students from any major can join any of the winter break programs. For rising sophomore Jazmin Ramirez, an animal sciences major, the South Africa experience was a perfect fit. 

“I shadowed a vet tech and got to see some pretty cool surgeries,” she said. “Working with the animals impacted me, but honestly, working with the people there was even more valuable. They worked hard and meshed so well as a team. They made me realize the type of veterinarian I want to be.”

Program Spotlight: Mexico

When Jonathan Licea sent his mom a photo of himself holding a baby crocodile, she was understandably nervous. “I was nervous too, but it was actually pretty cool. I gained a lot more appreciation of animals and nature during the study abroad program in Mexico.” 

Licea, a recent graduate from the financial planning program in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, wasn’t necessarily an outdoorsy person before Mexico. But the program looked like a perfect opportunity to dive into his Mexican heritage. So, he embraced the heat and occasional mud to get to know, for the first time, the flora, fauna, and history of his ancestral home.

In Mexico, students are introduced to the natural ecology of the Yucatán Peninsula, the history of the Mayan ruins, and long-held cultural traditions. Michael Ward, professor and Levenick Chair in Sustainability in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, leads the program with Joy O’Keefe, NRES associate professor and wildlife extension specialist with Illinois Extension. 

“We land in Cancún first so the students can see the more touristy places before we move across the more authentic parts of Mexico. We get to see the different ways people live as we move from place to place,” O’Keefe said. “Once you get to the Yucatán Peninsula, you see that locals are much less invested in consumerism, so students suddenly become acquainted with alternative ways to live.”

Ward says it’s rewarding to see students like Licea develop a deeper appreciation of nature as well as an understanding of the intersection between development, tourism, and conservation. 

“A lot of our students get caught up in the rat race of papers and finals, so I think it's really good for them to think broadly about the world and where we fit,” he said.

Time to apply

Elena Cleary, a recent graduate from the agricultural communications program in Agricultural, Leadership, Education, and Communications, was transformed by a winter break program in Sierra Leone and can’t recommend study abroad highly enough. 

“I would say, go, go, go! I know travel can be uncomfortable, and it’s easier to just stay safe. But this is an opportunity to grow as a person and expand your perspective of everything going on in the world. My college career, my post-grad career, my entire life, is going to look different because I went on this program, and it'll be for the better,” she said. “It has improved my knowledge of journalism and the world and taught me how to speak to people in different situations who come from different backgrounds and cultures.”

To learn more about study abroad programs and opportunities, visit the ACES Study Abroad website or schedule an appointment with an ACES Study Abroad Advisor. To join a winter 2025-2026 program, be sure to apply by June 15.