April 30, 2024
ROME, Ga. — Two Shorter University professors recently took their class on an extraordinary experience trip, almost 6,000 miles from their traditional classrooms. The group headed to Ghana for business leadership opportunities and a chance to share the love of Christ with those in Ghana.
Dr. Amanda Gentry, assistant professor of Business, and Dr. Michael Ross, Department of Sport Management Chair and associate professor, were the leaders of this experience. These two professors saw this as a unique learning opportunity for their students and made the trip a reality.
“When I first came to Shorter, I recognized an opportunity to empower the lives of our students through the development of a Global Experience Trip,” said Dr. Gentry. “Therefore, I developed a program that blended the aspects of a study abroad trip with the purpose of a mission trip. This is called the College of Business Global Experience Trip. Students get the opportunity to travel globally and develop a robust worldview while also gaining academic credit for their work.”
The team consisted of 10 people, including the two professors and six students. While in Ghana, the team had the chance to visit various local businesses, a local school, and even went sightseeing.
“I was so proud of our students, to see how grounded they were in their faith, and watch that come to fruition throughout Ghana,” said Dr. Ross. “I think the idea we had leading into the trip was completely wrecked in all the right ways. It was more than we could have anticipated, and it has been so fun to see our students once we got back and to see how their perspectives have changed. This is a passion project for us, not only for our students to be able to see other parts of the world but also to gain a deeper perspective on things that matter. A lot of our students left America one person and came back a completely different person. That shows the value of these trips. This is the first of many.”
The Shorter University College of Business is excited to be hosting this trip annually and will be heading back to West Africa in 2025.
