This partnership enabled Mara Duke, a senior majoring in Aquatic Science, to have an unforgettable experience studying abroad at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji during spring semester 2012. 

USP is the premier institution of higher education in the Pacific Region offering internationally recognized undergraduate and postgraduate study programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Mara was a recipient of the prestigious Benjamin Gilman scholarship, a federal grant, which helped to fund her program abroad.

Mara's future dream is to combine interests in underwater photography with marine biology.  While in Fiji she took courses in Sustainable Fisheries, a Marine Biology class with a lab, and an Animal Physiology class.  She has especially happy memories of the week spent living with a host family in a village on the Sigatoka sand dunes in order to better understand Fijian culture.  

Mara enjoyed exploring the island of Viti Levu and surrounding islands, some as distant as a 19 hour ferry ride, did some deep sea fishing, swam with sharks, stingrays, and jellyfish, and met some beautiful people.

Mara appreciated the benefits of extensive hands-on experience ranging from activities as diverse as snorkeling and surveying the ocean in some beautiful Marine Protected Areas to checking out plankton under the microscope from the bay bordering the campus.

To learn more about Mara's experiences in this program, check out her blog http://maraannblog.tumblr.com/  Read more about the University of the South Pacific and other opportunities to get involved during a semester or year abroad in Fiji at http://www.uwplatt.edu/studyabroad/fiji/index.html