For many students, study abroad means trips to well-known European destinations. But at Adelphi, students traveled farther east —to experience the history and cultures of Vietnam and Thailand.
According to Vice President for Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Sentwali Bakari, PhD, most U.S. college students interested in studying abroad choose Europe. While he and his team have led popular alternative break trips to Morocco and Spain over the past two summers, as well as a 2025 winter break trip to Portugal and a spring break trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, this summer, they elected to introduce students to a less-traveled but equally fascinating part of the world.
Their alternative summer break education abroad experience, led by Dr. Bakari and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Anna Zinko, was a 10-day journey of discovery and cultural awareness.
An Unforgettable Alternative Break to Vietnam and Thailand
Graduate students, undergraduates and entering first-year students boarded a plane for Vietnam on August 7 for an immersive 10-day alternative summer break trip to Vietnam and Thailand, where they gained new perspectives and a deeper understanding of Southeast Asian cultures and participated in community life. For students, such cultural connections bring Adelphi’s commitment to deepening ties with the wider world to life.
“Student Affairs aims to support globalization among all of our students,” said Dr. Bakari. “Through trips like this, students gain a global consciousness and perspective and become global citizens. They learn about the countries they visit, but learn a little bit more about themselves.”
A Life-Changing Experience
For entering first-year finance major Aimee Huynh in the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, the trip was an opportunity to make connections with her Vietnamese heritage and with Adelphi. “Before the school year even began, this trip allowed me to connect with fellow students and Dr. Bakari and Ms. Zinko, giving me the perfect beginning to my journey as an international first-year student,” she explained. “I’m truly grateful to Adelphi for this experience.”
“This trip challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and engage with cultures different from my own,” said Adrenna Taylor ’24, who is earning her master’s degree in accounting. “I learned how tradition blends with modern life and gained a new perspective on cultural identity. The connections, experiences and memories I made during this journey will always be meaningful to me.”
Giving Back
Service projects are built in to the immersive multicultural experience to give students a firsthand understanding and appreciation of cultural differences within the countries’ communities. The group visited the Vietnam Food Bank in Saigon, which provides nutritional support for the elderly in a nursing home. “We helped to prepare the food,” Dr. Bakari recalled. “They sang to us and we sang to them.”
In Thailand, the group visited a facility outside of Bangkok that serves people with disabilities. “Two weeks ago, Josh Laureta, neuroscience major, Honors College student and member of the Global Medical Brigade Club, was so moved by what he saw that he started a campaign to raise funds for that facility,” Dr. Bakari reported.
Equally memorable was a spontaneous chance to help deliver food to monks who lined up a short walk away from their Bangkok hotel with empty bowls at 6:00 a.m. Students placed the food they had purchased the night before into the monks’ bowls.
Temples, Local Cuisine and Museums
Of course, the group’s itinerary was packed with opportunities to see sights—from a Mekong Delta excursion that explored iconic Vietnamese landscapes to a Chao Phraya River boat tour of Thailand that took in the temple Wat Arun.
A Thai cooking class, where they learned to make pad thai, green curry and a soup was enthusiastically received by all, while in Saigon the group learned to make egg coffee, a traditional favorite in Vietnam—one of the world’s top three producers of coffee.
“The trip was truly amazing and memorable,” said Terry-Ann Mowatt, a graduate student in Emergency Management. “We were immersed in the Asian culture, experiencing new foods and activities, while learning and giving back to communities within the regions we visited. I truly enjoyed myself and I’m excited for the next trip.”
For Dr. Bakari, a visit to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History, a Vietnam War museum, and locations where the Viet Cong used guerilla warfare to their advantage was especially impactful. “We all learned more about the history of the Vietnam War from this excursion,” he stated.
Next Stop, Galapagos
Plans are already underway for an exciting eco-trip to the Galápagos Islands, off the Ecuadorian coast, during winter break.
According to Dr. Bakari, for those who missed the chance to explore Southeast Asia this summer, the Division of Student Affairs is planning a return trip next summer. “We may modify it a little bit and try to get to the city of Hanoi, Vietnam, and experience the Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its floating fishing villages, coral reefs and emerald waters.”