More than 30 international travel opportunities were available to Wofford students during the 2026 January Interim, including faculty-led programs and experiences offered through study abroad partners. Here are five snapshots from around the globe during Interim.
Jack Grabarczyk ’26
Tanzania and Zanzibar: Culture, Nature and Connection
Grabarczyk had a night he’ll never forget while camping on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania.
“A massive elephant walked straight through our site while we were camping, and we woke to a dozen waterbucks grazing just outside our tents. Sleeping that close to African wildlife was surreal,” says Grabarczyk, a biology and finance double major from Greenville, S.C.
Another day on the safari, Grabarczyk witnessed a mother cheetah teaching her cubs how to hunt gazelles. “Watching how they playfully tumbled over one another felt straight out of a documentary,” he says.
Thanks to connections with local guides and leaders in Tanzania made by Curt McPhail ’96, executive director of the Career Center, Grabarczyk connected with Maasai people in a traditional village and met children at a rural school through The Lunch Project, an NGO aimed at fueling learning in Tanzania.
Grabarczyk says the life lessons he took from being outside of his normal mode are as impactful as these unique experiences. “Being disconnected from social media and job search stress allowed me to focus on genuine human connection, and that shift has stayed with me,” he says.
Eloise Hupfer ’26
Experience Japan's Cultures and Traditions
In Tokyo, Hupfer partook in Buddhist rituals led by a monk at Soji-ji Temple, one of the main temples in the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. She saw pottery demonstrations at Kasen Pottery, a 370-year-old shop run by a 12th-generation heir. She walked through the Tsukiji Fish Market, tasting and smelling Japanese foods like wagyu beef, prawn crackers and seafood pancakes, and interacted with the abundant wildlife on Miyajima Island.
“What being abroad offers that a traditional classroom cannot is this element of experience,” she says.
The homestay component is what drew Hupfer to this Interim trip. Every morning, she and her housemate, Lyndsay Moore ’26, used the limited Japanese they knew to navigate from their homestay in the outskirts of western Tokyo to the day’s scheduled activity. When they returned, they shared meals with their host mom, including Japanese staples like okonomiyaki.
“We had conversations about cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan and shared our hobbies. I learned my host mom plays tennis regularly. I grew up playing tennis, so it was fun to be able to talk about our tennis strategies during matches and our favorite players,” she says.
Kerrington Pinckney ’27
Morocco: Crossroads of Culture
During the first night of Pinckney’s stay in Morocco, she and her class entered a restaurant in the capital city of Rabat. A band playing traditional local music performed near the entryway, and Pinckney lit up.
“They followed us to our table and showed us how to do their dances. I even danced with some of the band members. It was truly one of those ‘I’m never going back home’ experiences,” says Pinckney, a sociology and anthropology major with a government minor from Sumter, S.C.
Cultural immersion was the highlight of the trip for Pinckney. She stepped into the awe-inspiring architecture of Hassan II Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Africa, as congregants prayed. She learned how to bargain in Moroccan markets, proudly securing a deal on hand-sewn shoes for her mother and aunt. She heard shouts in Arabic from her host parent as he celebrated Morocco’s national soccer team.
“This trip opened my eyes to a beautiful culture filled with people who are always eager to share their love of their country,” Pinckney says.
Emma Rose Radcliff ’26
Buenos Aires: Culture and Cuisine in Argentina
In Buenos Aires, Radcliff watched as women donning white shawls arrived at the Presidential Palace during the Walk of the Madres de La Plaza de Mayo, a weekly march held since 1977 to recognize thousands of women and children who went missing during the dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla.
“It was a powerful act of resistance, and I was moved to tears by the end. I learned Argentina is a country deeply rooted in its belief in standing up for what is right and speaking up for those in need,” says Radcliff, a history major from Pawleys Island, S.C.
Radcliff also experienced daily Argentinian life through her host mom, Lala, who taught her how to make empanadas and cooked her traditional meals like milanesa and fugazetta.
Using basic comprehension of Spanish and a bit of courage, Radcliff planned a whitewater rafting venture in a mountainous pass of the Mendoza River by herself. As she cruised down the river, tucked between snow-brushed peaks with a lush green landscape around them, she felt a lifelong memory being created.
“Never did I think I would be doing any of this — having these experiences of meeting new people, trying new food and taking on new adventures out of my comfort zone,” she says.
Addison Sapp ’27
IES Abroad: London
As Sapp navigated London during January, she was constantly struck by the many sites filled with history that made up her daily excursions, such as Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. “Something as simple as riding the Tube or walking along the Thames became memorable because of how much life and history surrounded it,” she says.
Sapp is a biology and studio art double major from Boiling Springs, S.C., who began a semester abroad in London in January. She volunteers with Healthwatch Camden, a patient advocacy group. She has learned about the British healthcare system and listened to the needs and concerns of locals who rely on it. “It’s one of the most grounding parts of my time abroad and made London feel less like a place I was visiting and more like a community I was part of,” she says.
Sapp arrived in London by herself — though she says her advisor was a phone call away. But she has quickly built connections and a stronger sense of independence, something she appreciates as she continues her experience in the spring semester.
“This January gave me not only a foundation in the city, but friendships and memories that make me eager to continue building a life in London and, eventually, to bring new ideas and memories to Wofford,” she says.