Musings from the Movement

Allison is a 25 year old Canadian who’s been working as a graphic designer since graduating in 2013.

Since joining the real world, Allison has been dedicated to getting ahead in her chosen field. After 5 years she started to long for something different. She considered relocating to another city and finding a new job, but wanted to first develop her skills in preparation for more advanced design opportunities... The question then became how?

“I researched professional development courses and university study abroad programs, but wasn’t convinced either could fulfill my needs: a self-paced, customized curriculum for the tech skills I was missing, and a chance to break out of my comfort zone via new cultural experiences.”

When Allison found Edumadic, it seemed to check all the boxes she was looking for.

“I would be able to put my full focus on learning these industry-specific skills, and in doing so, build on my career and spark new possibilities at the intersection of work, culture, and travel.”

During the program Allison has been updating the skills that she learnt during university, through platforms such as Lynda and the Interaction Design Foundation. Much of what she was taught in school quickly became outdated or forgotten when it wasn’t put to use in her day to day work.

Allison has creativity running through her veins. When she’s not designing for work she’s sketching, embroidering, designing tattoos for her friends, or most recently, posting hilarious Instagram stories that have been splitting our sides for the entire program!

Matea is a 19 year old German who recently returned from 8 months in Australia.

Since she’s been home, Matea has been working as a waitress and barmaid at a hotel, whilst she figures out what next step she wants to take in life.

Matea decided against going straight to university after High school, mainly because she couldn’t imagine being tied down to one city for the next 3 years of her life. So just like so many young Europeans, she decided to head off to the other side of the world to have some fun!

Living and travelling around Australia was a life changing experience for Matea. It’s given her clarity on what she wants to study next as well as teaching her so many lessons about life itself, as backpacking so often does.

“Through travel you can learn so much about yourself and others. it seems like an absolutely necessary thing for me to do”

Matea joined Edumadic because she wanted to continue learning about the world through travel, but also wanted to start learning about Environmental Science, something that sparked her interest whilst in Australia.

Matea is studying Marine and Antarctic Science remotely via a course put together by the University of Tasmania.

Fermin is a 22 year old American and Chicago native who graduated from the University of Illinois earlier this year with a Degree in Finance and Economics.

With his studies focused on business, he is an aspiring entrepreneur bursting with ideas for projects and business ventures he’d like to explore while on the program. He hopes to be inspired by his exposure to cultures, customs, and tastes that are vastly different from his own and use this trip as field research that might influence how he’d like to conduct his own business one day.

During his university years, Fermin took advantage of a study abroad program which took him to the University of Birmingham in England and introduced him to so many new friends from all over the world. It was incredible to learn about everyone’s experiences and views on different subjects that could be so different, yet so similar to his own, and it began to pique his curiosity for long-term travel.

“Traveling has become a huge goal of mine, but I also want to start several businesses over the span of my life. I thought both of these things to be incompatible, but recent findings prove otherwise. Perhaps this could be my opportunity to find a way to make e-commerce a feasible way of earning an income, all while meeting many great people, and hopefully making some lifelong friends!”

The community aspect of Edumadic will provide Fermin with fellow program participants from diverse backgrounds and areas of study, ready to share ideas and opinions, make an impact on his business goals, and share adventures together.

Iz grew up in Chicago but decided to study abroad for the 4 years she will be at university.

She is currently undertaking english literature and history in Edinburgh, Scotland and once finished on our Bali summer program, will be spending the next year of her course in the Netherlands.

‘I love the idea of combining travel and learning, and believe that in doing so both experiences can be enhanced. I want to see more of the world, get outside of my comfort zone, build relationships, and develop my own sense of independence and adventure’.

Whilst Iz has been at university, she has co-founded an online publication that aimed to ‘make radical thought and activism accessible’.

“There was a lot of activism happening on campus at the time, but it was very disjointed, and we were struggling to figure out how to get involved. The Rattlecap was the solution, aiming to create a space that anyone could read or contribute to. The whole process has taught me a lot about how to create and imagine, and has developed my leadership skills and confidence. I learned how rewarding it can be to create something that’s your own, and to build community around a shared voice."

Iz spends her days studying, reading, visiting her favourite bakeries and coffee shops, cooking and even runs a radio show once a week! We are so happy to have Iz join us and we are so proud of how hard she has worked on her assignments during her time here in Bali!

Taylor is a 20 year old Canadian from the “true north” of the Yukon Territory and currently lives in High River, Alberta.

She’s studying Animal Welfare through an online certificate program with Thompson Rivers University. She is passionate about the rescue and rehabilitation of abused and neglected animals, and hopes this trip will provide helpful insight and inspiration to continue in this career direction.

Luckily the Southeast Asia locations on our trip have an abundance of animals in need of care (and homes!) that will surely convince Taylor that she’s on the right path.While she was weighing her options at home and deciding whether she really wanted to put herself through years of school, she discovered Edumadic and a long-term traveling experience easily became a priority.

“I have been wanting to travel for quite some time, but haven’t had anyone to go with and haven’t desired travelling solo without gaining sufficient experience first…this is such an interesting and unique program, and I would love to be part of something that emphasizes both furthering one’s education through experience and creating a community of like-minded people.”

After her travels end this year, Taylor plans to head back to Canada and complete a diploma to become an Animal Health Technician, continue traveling, and see where in the world she can put her passion to good use!

Asa (or Ace to his friends) is a 24 year old Canadian from London, Ontario. He was in his final year of university when he heard about Edumadic.

He had just returned home to Canada after spending a year abroad in England, and had well and truly caught the the travel bug. Once he had completed his degree in cultural studies, Ace decided it would be his goal to join us in Bali; and we are so glad he did!

Whilst on our Spring program, he is studying an online TEFL (teach English as a foreign language) course which he will use to work abroad as an ELS educator. Ace plans on attending teachers college in the future but right now, his priority is gaining life experience through study and travel.

Ace loves music and you will often find him with his guitar, serenading our Edumads of an evening. He started his own band when he was only 9 years old and in the 10 years that they played, they recorded 2 fully mastered albums and had over 100 original songs!

“This band is my greatest achievement because it taught me that failure is not a failure if you learn something or gain something from the experience”. When Ace isn’t working on his TEFL certification, he can usually be found balancing stones on the beach, here in Canggu. It is fascinating for us to watch the amount of skill and concentration that goes into each tower!“

Rock stacking is more than just hobby, it can be used as a tool to help cope with the many stresses that we as people endure on a daily basis. It is the perfect balance of meditation and exercise, introvertism and extrovertism and influencing and respecting our natural surroundings”.

Jesse is a 23 year old from China who has been living and studying in Singapore since age 15!

She recently graduated from the Singapore University of Technology and Design and has been working as a UX designer and developer for a tech startup.

While researching her options for the 4-month gap between graduation and starting her new job in investment banking in 2018, she stumbled upon Edumadic and thought it was the perfect fit!

In addition to her degree in computer science, she will be focusing her studies on data science, security, and computer engineering-related topics. She also brought along her guitar and sketch book to keep herself engaged creatively as well.

Jesse’s greatest challenge and achievement in life is learning English. In China the English she learned is referred to as “mute English” where she learned grammar, essay writing, and vocabulary but rarely practiced conversational skills. When she moved to Singapore she had to rethink what she had been taught in order to communicate with her peers.

“When I was in my home country, I felt that at least I am a complete person. But when I came to this English-speaking world, I became deaf and blind…imagine a deaf person finally being able to hear and talk as per normal — this feeling is so good that you simply do not want to be deaf again…that’s why I wanted to really change when I came to this university, away from my old Chinese friends. I kept a blog, and my first entry inside reads ‘I’m going to this new school, I know absolutely no one, I don’t know what will happen. It is such a risk and I am going to take it.'"

She’s brought the confidence she’s gained by overcoming this obstacle to her educational pursuits and her participation in the program.

Victoria is a 20 year old university student with roots in Germany and Denmark, and spent a large part of her childhood living around the world!

As the daughter of Danish and German expats, Victoria grew up as a global citizen, most notably in Vietnam during her earliest baby and toddler years and vacationed in Indonesia and Thailand at a young age. She has been dreaming of returning to each of these countries ever since to make connections to her past and create new memories.

The Edumadic itinerary for the Belatrusa program coincidentally aligned with that dream, and she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

This is a big step traveling outside the comfort zone of her family, and many of Victoria’s friends who have traveled long term confided that they often found it to be isolating without a routine and sense of purpose. By taking her university courses to an online platform, she created a schedule that would provide structure to her travels as she also explored her personal history with each location.

Her current studies at Freie University in Berlin are in Comparative World Literature and Political Science, and she has been incorporating her passion for human rights into her Edumadic experience.

“…these specific courses all have a large emphasis on international topics, which would be useful to study whilst traveling and observing them in person…human rights is always a relevant topic — no matter where in the world you currently are. I believe that every person has some sort of opinion on various topics involving human rights, and I would love to share and discuss with fellow Edumadic friends during study and travel time!”

Throughout her travels with the group thus far, Victoria is still learning where she wants to focus her attention when she returns to Berlin and allow these experiences to shape her career aspirations, even if that means rethinking things completely. The world around her has impacted what she truly values in life and will continue to do so long after this program comes to a close.

“I take pride in coping with moving around often and having to make new friends during my adolescence — it has been a hard and long journey…and I often would’ve wished to have had an ordinary life, but I now see how positively it has shaped my view of the world.”

Anna is a 20 year old from Washington and this is her first trip out of the United States!

Prior to coming to Bali, she was finishing her prerequisites for nursing school, but as she drew closer to completing them she started to question whether nursing is really her passion. She'll be spending her time exploring some new fields, specifically, literature and poetry. She also wants to take this time to reconnect with herself.

“I was on an amazing path that was bettering me and contributing to my mental and physical health every single day. After enduring several hardships I noticed myself losing touch with everything I had worked so hard for. I have been seeking joy and fulfillment in things that leave me empty, wondering what I can do to work back towards my goal”.

This is an exciting and brave change for Anna; one that she hopes will lead her to create genuine joy and peace, within herself and others.Anna is committed to self development and after her solo move to Colorado at 17, she has uncovered her strength, independence and sense of adventure.

Anna looks forward to exploring Bali, living minimalistically and making time to create and write; something she has not set aside time to do in her busy life back home. Her goal for this trip is to write her own poetry book whilst completing her online course in creative writing. She hopes to expand her knowledge of different poetry forms and techniques from around the world.

Maricel is 18, currently taking a gap year before attending University back home in Scotland this coming September.

She has a severe case of the travel bug and has spent the past year backpacking through Europe and Morocco. One of the highlights of that time in Europe was completing a section of the Camino de Santiago trail where she walked for 6 days from France, across the border to Spain.

Whilst with us in Bali, Maricel is diving back into her passion for art. Whilst completing school, she focused her attention on exams and study, which meant a painfully long hiatus from expressing herself through a paintbrush or pencil.

“Traveling to somewhere like Bali with its famously picturesque sites seems like a wonderful opportunity to find my own personal style while branching out and testing new and different art techniques from a different cultural perspective and improving upon old ones”.

Maricel will also be working on building a website and portfolio for her art. For her, it’s important to dive in and build a solid foundation for her passions before directing her attention toward her philosophy and psychology studies in September. Maricel loves the outdoors and hopes to spend her birthday in Bali, snorkeling in the beautiful oceans!

Will is a 24 year old Canadian who has been working as a Quality Control Supervisor since leaving university.

As soon as Will left university he jetted off to Europe with 5 friends and spent 3 months travelling all over the continent. As with so many people that take similar trips, this ignited in him a desire to see more of the world and have more mind bending experiences. However, a job was calling him home. So further travel would have to wait.

Another reason why Will was holding off on travelling again was that he wanted to go back to school. There were a couple classes that he needed to complete to finish his undergraduate degree.

When he heard about Edumadic, Will thought that it was a great opportunity to satisfy these two things playing on his mind, completing his education and seeing more of the world.

Having got the all clear from work and transferring his credits to a university that would allow him to complete his degree online, Will was free to join the Inaugural Edumadic Program!

Carly is a 22 year-old American who is currently studying Global and International Studies with a minor in Comparative Religions at Western Michigan University.

Throughout college, Carly wanted to study abroad, but couldn’t find a program that fit her desire for both independence and a sense of community. When she stumbled upon Edumadic, she knew she’d found the perfect balance of the two.

“Edumadic is the perfect combination of study, experience abroad, individuality, and an opportunity to meet locals in a foreign country, as well as like-minded people who enjoy travel and education. I love the idea of learning at my own pace, learning about a new culture, and making friends along the way!”

Although Carly was initially apprehensive about flying halfway across the world with people she had never met before, she quickly bonded with the other participants.

“The other day we were talking about how quickly we’ve become close, and that it normally takes years to develop this level of comfort we have with one another.”

While here on the program, Carly will be taking a class in global economics, the perfect complement to her Global and International Studies degree.

“While in Bali, I would like to learn more about those who are visiting or living in Bali long term who are from other countries, and the effects they may have on the tourism industry, the local economy, and the local community.”

This opportunity to travel and study has given her just that; an intimate look into the life of the other Edumads, travelers, locals, and digital nomads who drive much of the economy here in Bali.

Rachel is a 22 year old American from Washington, Missouri and most often found behind her camera lens!

She has experimented with various forms of higher education over the past several years — a traditional 4-year university, a community college, online classes — and has used that experience to truly determine how education best fits her needs.

Like many people, moving on campus to have the traditional American college experience wasn’t quite what she envisioned and she wasn’t challenged at the level she predicted she would be. The general requirements felt too repetitive of her high school studies and didn’t provide enough freedom and creativity. Though it was a hard personal decision to make, Rachel decided to try a new path and returned home to attend a community college.

This path led her to understand the necessity of general studies that lay the basic foundation for any degree; she was able to take a photography class in her final semester which helped her realized what college could be if she could get through the basics first.

She’s proud to have completed her Associate of Arts degree, and to have finally found the motivation to continue learning through alternative schooling. Ever since she went on a European trip at age 15 with an Education First program, she knew travel and education were meant to be combined and she sought out opportunities that led her to Edumadic.

“Language and culture have always intrigued me… being abroad and experiencing these different languages and cultures firsthand while I’m learning about them will better my understanding as opposed to reading about it in a text book — this program is a way to have all of those things!”

Rachel will be spending her time studying linguistics, and continuing her journey into photography with online classes in photojournalism, post-production and editing. She’s quickly learning the road to improvement could also be the ultimate career path.

“I follow several travel bloggers on social media and I feel like they are living out my dream…I would love to be able to travel and promote destinations and businesses by sharing what I experience — I truly believe photographs can change the way people think.”

Rachel couldn’t ask for better hands-on lessons in photography in our beautiful, inspiring locations, and you might even see some of her work pop up on the Edumadic Instagram!

Sabrina is a 19 year old who joins us from Germany. Her hometown of Kevelaer (outside of Dusseldorf) is a small one, but her ambitions are greater than her origins.

Right now she has a gap between finishing high school and starting university classes, and she found Edumadic while looking for an experience that would prepare her before she begins this new chapter in life.

As an aspiring artist, Sabrina’s goal is to combine ordinary art with her passion for photography, while incorporating modern art methods into her work. She has learned and practiced various styles from an artist over the years, and even held her own art exhibit in Germany a week before leaving for Bali! She plans to take her vision to university in the Fall where she will be studying Communication Design.

During this program, she will be taking an intensive English language course and exploring illustration and photography classes online in preparation.

Traveling will provide Sabrina with the perfect opportunities to continue expanding her horizon outside of Germany, socializing with travelers from all over the world with similar aspirations — all while practicing her English-speaking skills!

“I want to fall in love with new cities, learn more about myself, become independent, meet new people, make new friends, experience different and new cultures, make unforgettable memories, take big adventures, and improve my English.”

That’s quite the to-do list, and taking the first big step to travel far outside her comfort zone will help check each one off!

Jack is 21 and has been travelling around his home country of America since he was 18. For him, the decision of attending university or travel was easy.

Whilst adventuring through the US, he learned a wide variety of skills such as photography, videography, web development, and programming from sites like YouTube and Udemy. During his time in Bali, he plans to further educate himself in all these subjects.

Jack looks forward to being surrounded by group of people who are also studying and working online.

“Joining a trip with Edumadic allows me to fulfill everything I have been seeking without compromising the social aspect of traveling”.

Jack loves hiking, the outdoors, and has a great balance between living out his passions, studying and working. He loves to document his travels and is always working on bettering his skills.

His greatest achievement is moving away from his hometown and realising that he didn’t have to live the life others expected him to.

“Being on my own and being able to travel has taught me many lessons. One of the best lessons in my opinion has been being able to release things that no longer serve me. Freedom from attachment was the hardest thing to do: letting go of my family and friends, leaving behind my belongings, and forcing myself to be uncomfortable in order to allow new things into my life. It's allowed me to let go of materialism and enjoy the moments as they happen, never fearing change”.

Quinn is 22 year old, from Colorado and has just completed her undergraduate degree in Biology and Economics.

She attended college in Chicago and had been challenged, especially in her final year, learning to balance difficult subjects such as economics, biology as well as studying, her health, work, internships and relationships.

Quinn loves nature, being outdoors, and fitness. Whilst she doesn’t see herself as a ‘total granola hippy tree-hugger’ she feels as though she owes it to nature to learn as much as possible, which is what she’s been spending her time doing while on the program.

She is specifically interested in molecular neuroscience, molecular biology and genetics and hopes to go further with her studies in this field. During her time with us in Bali she gained clarity on her next steps academically which will be to pursue a Master’s Degree in this field.

This isn’t Quinn’s first time to Bali or even Asia! During high school, she lived in Shanghai, China with her family for two years. During this time, she was able to explore different parts of Asia, including places such as Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

‘After all this, I can honestly say that Bali was my absolute favorite place of them all. I felt the cultural and environmental connection right away and as soon as we left, I could not wait to get back. It's just a lovely, beautiful place’ .

Edumadic is just the beginning of Quinns travels. She’s staying on after the program in Bali completing an internship, after which she will venture over to Thailand.

Katia is a 23 year old San Franciscan.

Since she was little, Katia had dreamt and worked toward becoming a ballerina.

“At the age of 17, after having trained and performed for over a decade, personal circumstances prevented me from pursuing a career. Without ever considering a “Plan B”, I went to college because I figured that was what I was supposed to do”.

Whilst Katia loved the materials she was studying, she wasn't completely happy and & just knew this form of education wasn't for her. Instead, she has decided to wait until she is truly passionate about something, to then commit to studying it in depth. Katia has travelled quite extensively growing up, having made trips to France and Russia on multiple occasions as well as Hawaii, Spain, Mexico and even lived in New York during the duration of her time at college.

Whilst Ballet is her life, even still today as she works as the operations manager for her parents ballet school, Katia loves photography.

“I have always had a camera by my side, and could spend a whole day just editing pictures - it is one thing that I can see myself doing every day. I very much enjoy taking abstract pictures - I like putting a twist on how we are able to see things - to create a new perspective”.

Danielle is a 23 year-old Canadian who has a degree in Criminology and Psychology from Carleton University.After graduating from university, Danielle landed the dream job working for the government as a research analyst.

A few months into the job, she started dreading going into the office. She felt trapped by the monotony of doing the same work every single day and quickly realized this ‘dream job’ was someone else’s dream.

She made a bold decision.She quit her government job and returned to bartending while she applied to grad school and figured out her next step. Danielle was accepted to study Clinical Psychology. Everything and everyone in her life was telling her this was the right move, but something felt off.

She declined her offer to go and moved back home with her parents.“I had quit both my well paying government job and graduate school, everyone in my life thought I was crazy and told me I had made the biggest mistake of my life. But somehow I knew that if I didn’t quit at that moment, then I never would. Looking back it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Danielle found a job at a local brewery and slowly worked her way through the company to event management and marketing. Knowing this wasn’t what she wanted to do forever, she continued to search for more options.That’s when she stumbled upon Edumadic.

“It was the perfect combination for learning a new skill, Digital Marketing, while traveling the world, meeting new people, and gaining a larger perspective on life outside of government jobs, higher education, and craft beer.”

When she isn’t working on her online skills, you can catch Danielle on a morning run, hunting down the best smoothie bowls on the island, and getting competitive in a game of Euchre.

Melissa is a 31 year old American originally from Ohio. She’s spent the last 9 years living in New York working at a major book publisher.

Melissa has felt privileged to be able to live in New York and work at some of the biggest publishing houses in the business, but feels she’s at a crossroads in her life that means she has to make some drastic changes, if she’s going to get to where she wants both professionally and personally in the next 5 years or so. She’s been meaning to work towards these longer term goals in her evenings and weekends, but the demands of her day job mean she’s never been able to.

“My employers have always provided me with supplementary education options and access to online programs — yet without the time to actually engage with them. When I get home from work I don’t have the mental capacity or energy to invest in any of those courses. But we read everywhere that if you have a passion, you’ll find the time to make it happen and learn all that you can. So each day I feel like I’ve failed those passions a little bit more.”

She’s also always been left wanting more when it comes to her trips abroad.

“Each time I travel it never seems to be long enough to become part of the daily life in that particular corner of the world, which for me, is the whole point of traveling. I want to have enough time to be both tourist and resident, so that I really immerse myself in the culture.”

For Melissa, Edumadic offers the perfect mix of personal development and travel. Allowing her to move closer to her long term goals, as well as exploring the world more widely and deeply.

Charlie is 23 years old and from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Whilst spending 12 weeks with us on the program, he will be studying business, finance and music production, and coding!

After learning silversmithing, Charlie now has his own business selling gems and mineral jewellery. Whilst he continues to grow ‘Aion Products’, he also works in the hospitality industry but believes that due to his passion and drive, he will be able to work full time creating jewellery, within the next year.

When he isn’t building his business, Charlie loves to make down-tempo electronic music and lives with his friends who all have similar passions, allowing them to collaborate and even perform at festivals and  concerts together!

"I like to go out to concerts and love music. In fact I often will be vending selling my jewelry and minerals at the music events I attend."

Charlie loves being outdoors, hiking, camping and has done many backpacking trips over the years. When he isn't hanging out with group or hunting down the spiciest food he can find here in Thailand, he is off getting lost in nature!

Anna is a 25 year old American from Dallas, Texas who recently left her job to go on the adventure of a lifetime and continue expanding her education and personal growth.

After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 2014, she delayed joining the workforce in favor of leaving the comfort of home and spending 10 months working as an au pair in Cologne, Germany. She knew she wasn’t ready to jump into a traditional job, and while living abroad she found a new confidence in herself to seek new opportunities that would continue to challenge her.

After returning home from Germany, Anna began working in the digital marketing department for a weekly newspaper in Dallas. She started to explore online classes to gain new and useful skills, but soon realized that a full-time job didn’t give her the time and energy she needed to really make the most of the online learning experience. When she discovered Edumadic, it was the final push she need to make a major life decision to step away from her job and take the time to travel and study.

“I feel that to really grasp the skills and concepts being taught, I need the courses to be my main priority and that just has not been possible in my current situation.”

Anna will now be making the most of her time taking courses in Web Design and Development that will give her more career flexibility and allow her to keep traveling. She’s hoping to recapture the freedom she felt when she made the leap to Germany, and find a new path to take post-Edumadic with even more confidence in her abilities to go after what she wants in life.

“I don’t like to say I came back a different person because I don’t think I did. I like to think that through the challenges I worked through moving to Germany finally helped me find the confidence I had always been looking for to truly be myself. I wasn’t afraid to hide from people anymore. I think a big part of this was that the friends I made were like-minded people I had been looking for my whole life.”

After the transformative experience she had in Germany, she can’t wait to see how life changing 3 months with Edumadic will be.

Erin is a 20 year old Brit from a small town on the English / Welsh border.

Just a couple of months into her university career she could already tell it wasn’t for her. Being unsure of exactly what she wants her future to look like, Erin started looking for other less expensive ways to move forward and get a clearer picture of what makes her tick.

“I was never particularly sure on University and within a few weeks of being there I already knew it wasn’t the right decision for me. I’ve always wanted to travel, that’s been my main goal and ambition but I still wanted to learn, which is why I chose my education before my passion.”

Having travelled a fair amount as a child, and having an older sister that has lived all over the world, Erin has always wanted to live in a culture different from her own for an extended period of time.

So when Erin found Edumadic it gave her the licence to pursue her passion of travel as she was also able to move her education forward simultaneously.

Erin had planned on completing a TEFL certificate for a while now. This certification allows you to teach English abroad and is widely recognised all over the world. It’s a great way to fund world adventure, as certificate holders can be very well paid in many parts of the world, particularly Asia. Many people settle into a job for a couple of years, being fully immersed in the country where they are based. Because the jobs are so well paid, and living costs are so low in many of the countries that these jobs are found, TEFL teachers often save up for these couple of years and then travel extensively afterwards using the money they’ve earnt.

Erin had actually already signed up to an online course before applying to Edumadic, but hadn’t found the time to start it yet due to university and work obligations getting in the way. Her time on this Edumadic program is the perfect opportunity to finally complete the certification and also experience what life is like living in cultures that she may find herself teaching in!

Interesting fact about Erin, she single-handedly delivered a baby at the tender age of 15!

Jess is a 24-year old from the west of England who holds a degree in Popular Music from the University of Gloucestershire.

Prior to joining Edumadic, Jess had only traveled to parts of Europe and the United States. She hadn't considered traveling on her own, and Asia was both intriguing and intimidating. While she debated pursuing a Master's degree in Music Psychology, she was also working remotely as a Social Media Evaluator and found herself in a bit of a rut. When her contract was up and she was still unsure of what career move to make next, that's when she found Edumadic!

Jess decided to take a break from the pressures of finding a job so she could pursue a few areas of interest online, and finally explore Asia with a group of new faces. She took a major leap outside of her comfort zone in order to change her perspective.

During the trip, Jess studied and received a diploma in Sound Therapy, and took a course on mindfulness-based stress reduction. She realized that you don't always have to study something to make a career out of it - genuine curiosity is reason enough!

Now that Jess has hit the reset button, she feels a renewed motivation to jump back into the job search. She's still figuring out what she wants to do in some creative capacity when she returns home, and that's okay! Edumadic gave her the freedom to consider her options, and the reassurance that no one has it all figured out. She feels more confident now to continue traveling, and to keep pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone.

When Jess isn't hard at work in her room (and blasting the AC), you can find her sampling and judging all the mojitos in every location!

Bea is a 23 year-old from Ávila, Spain, who graduated this year with a degree in Commerce from the Complutense University of Madrid.

Throughout university, Bea made a point of collecting travel experiences. She lived in France for a year to learn French, visited a friend living in Singapore, and backpacked through China, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. After graduating, she was inspired to continue traveling.

“Traveling takes me to new and different places, with different people, in an environment that I’m not used to, it makes me learn. I like to see the contrasts of other countries and ask myself, why are things like that in this country?”.

But Bea was torn, she wanted to travel before beginning her career this fall and also wanted to take the time to learn and prepare for her new job.

“Having three months off, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to do both, travel and study, with other people who have the same passions.”

Bea asked for a friend’s advice on what she should do and her friend mentioned a company called Edumadic. When Bea visited the website, she knew it was the perfect way to satisfy her appetite for travel and also prepare for her new career simultaneously.

During her time here, Bea will be studying financial advising and gearing up for her new job with a broker company in Bulgaria this fall.

Despite being from a smaller village in Spain, Bea has mastered the independence of a true city woman. She can be found learning to surf at Old Man’s, laughing at Caitlin when she mispronounces Spanish words, and practicing her English with other Edumads and travelers she meets.

Daphne is a 20 year-old from the Netherlands who's taking a year off from both university and her life as a competitive diver.

Daphne has been a part of the Dutch national diving team since 2011 and is on the road to the 2020 Olympics. But before committing more of her time to the intense training process, she knew she needed to take some time off.

“I recently discovered I needed a break to get out of my isolated life in the pool. I realized, to become a better and stronger athlete, I needed to take a break and do something completely different. Resetting my mind with a program like Edumadic, I believe I can find the inspiration and motivation to face my fears and continue my training after the summer to further pursue my dream to becoming a Olympian.”

This year off has also allowed time away from a university life that didn’t quite feel right. She’d begun to study Communications after graduating from high school, but soon realized it wasn’t the path for her.

“When I started my gap year a couple months ago, I was ready to travel the world. However, following some research online, I realized I might not be suited to be a backpacker girl and also missed studying.”

And so she made her way to Edumadic, feeling it was the perfect combination of travel, community, education, and a taste of a completely different lifestyle outside of the known.

“After spending six weeks in Bali, I’m more confident than ever that I want to continue my career as a competitive diver and pursue a degree in Sports Marketing.”

During her time on this trip, Daphne is taking a photography course to add this skill to her marketing portfolio.You can catch her swimming in the ocean, browsing the Canggu shops, and practicing new photography techniques on the gorgeous Bali scenery.

Ethan is a 21 year old American from San Diego, who is joining us during a year out from college.⁠

Ethan jumped straight into a degree in Business and Accounting at the University of San Diego at the strong recommendation of his family. 2 years in and he’s not quite sure whether that’s the direction he wants to go in. In steps Edumadic.⁠

“I think that being a part of an Edumadic program will expose me to different aspects of life and work that I have never seen before, take me out of my comfort zone, and reveal some interests and passions that I never knew I had, helping me to choose a career path that I am satisfied with and excited to pursue in the future.”⁠

Ethan was fortunate enough to have travelled with his family throughout his childhood, although never for longer than a 2 week holiday. He’s conscious that there are many other cultures in the world other than the American one he grew up in, and appreciates the value in learning about these cultures.

Fun fact about Ethan, he recently interned at a tattoo parlour! So when he’s not working through the academic classes he’s enrolled in through our college partners, he can be found sketching tattoo designs for the other Edumads!⁠

You can find Ethan on Instagram @ethan_wilson

Jorien is a Dutch 23 year old who had just returned from a stint in Andalucia working for a tour operator before she joined the Inaugural Edumadic program.

Jorien is from a small town in rural Holland, and as a result has always wanted to get out and see more of the world. She’s spent the last 3 years doing just that, travelling around the world, mainly as a model. She spent a year and a half in Milan, 3 months each in Istanbul and Athens, 6 months in China, and 6 months in Andalucia. It’s safe to say she’s caught the travel bug! After so long working on the road, Jorien wanted to take some time for herself to decide what’s next.

"I feel at this age people have pressure from family and friends that you need to have some stability in life, but for me my mind is full of creative ideas pulling me in different directions. These 12 weeks will serve as a great way to figure out exactly which path I want to take as well as being a welcome break from work life!”

Jorien actually completed a diploma in Tourism whilst she was abroad, so has already been combining remote studying with travel for some time. She’ll be finishing off a Spanish course that she started whilst she was working in Andalucia and also work on some entrepreneurial ideas that she wants to explore. She’s also really into her fitness and likes to keep her body guessing.

Whether it’s Yoga in India, Muay Thai in Thailand, or Surfing in Bali, Jorien is always keen to try something new!

Caity is a 23 year old American from the small surf town of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

She recently graduated from Plymouth University, majoring in Art. As a varsity athlete she missed out on the opportunity to travel as an undergrad.

“I was a varsity athlete on my university's women’s lacrosse team and the dedication and time allocated to that limited my opportunity to travel and study abroad when I was a student.”

Edumadic has given her the perfect opportunity to fulfil those ambitions of seeing the world while she still has the time to do so.

Since graduating Caity has been working in the surf industry in her hometown, both as an instructor and at a store when the waves aren’t firing. Her other passion is design, which she has channelled into her baby, Sun & Ink Co.

“In my free time, I run a small business that I founded in 2017 called Sun & Ink Co. where I hand print t-shirts and create/sell digital art and illustrations. I am constantly creating images, prints, stickers, and all sorts of other things for Sun & Ink Co.”

While she’s with us in Europe, Caity is taking bigger strides towards full time Entrepreneurship in a couple of ways. She’s enrolled in an online Entrepreneurship class through one of our university partners alongside two other Edumads on this program. She’s also exploring the world of freelancing by finding online projects to apply her design skills to.

You can find Caity @caity.alice and find her art at @sun.and.ink.co

Hendricks is from Boston, USA and is between his 3rd and 4th years of college.

Having studied a variety of things from clinical psychology to marine ecology and sustainability, he has come to realise that whilst he is grateful for his education, he is his best self outside of a traditional education setting. This led him to study abroad for a year in the Bahamas during his junior year at high school.

“It was one of the most influential experiences I have had in my life. I was coming from an all boys, competitive environment where we wore suits and ties every day. I didn’t realize how rigid it felt until I had a chance to get away from it. I was excited to go experience a new climate, both socially and environmentally. The Island school was a complete lifestyle change, from the very beginning”.

With a passion for deep conversation and the arts, he has been working on his poetry and creating content for his YouTube channel since joining our Bali program. He also spends his time here, meditating, reflecting to build a better sense of self and understanding of this new world he finds himself immersed in on Bali.

A fun fact about Hendricks: He is an amazing dancer, who is able to express through his body, what he feels his mind cannot. You will often find Hendricks busting a move by the pool when a good tune comes on, and on the odd occasion, centre stage at the local bar!

Guillermo is a 23-year old from the Dominican Republic and recent graduate of Binghamton University with a degree in Systems Engineering and a minor in Computer Science.

It was only 5 years ago when Guillermo immigrated to the United States in search of a green card and an American education. He had given university a chance in the Dominican Republic but he wanted to pursue more opportunities in the States. He arrived in New York City in 2013 determined to learn English, become financially independent, and earn a college degree.

During the process of legalizing his immigration status, he didn’t have a work permit but was so committed to staying in the U.S., that he took a dishwashing job for 80 hours a week for six months while taking an intensive English course from Queens College — an achievement he is most proud of. All of his hard work and perseverance paid off when he received a full 4-year scholarship to attend Binghamton University in upstate New York.

“The process of achieving great things in life can sometimes be a little different than how you plan it…the biggest mistake one can make is to give up on a long-term goal because you are not comfortable with your present situation. Stay focused and embrace every single step of the journey, especially the ones you enjoyed the least — these are the steps you will be most proud of once you’ve achieved your long-term goal.”

Guillermo has already accepted a position with JP Morgan to start in July, and was debating what to do with the 6-month gap after his graduation when he found Edumadic. He related to a previous participant (Jesse) who also overcame a language barrier in pursuit of higher education.

He wanted to either continue his studies or travel, and didn’t realize he could do both! He also wasn’t crazy about traveling solo for the whole 6 months, so was excited to join a community of students who were looking for a similar experience.

“G” as we call him, is an inspiring force in the Edumadic group. He is proof that a positive attitude and humble outlook on life reaps some of the greatest rewards. We can’t wait to see where this new journey takes him.

Kendall is a 20 year old American from Charleston, South Carolina.

Kendall is pursuing a massage therapy certificate online which will set her up to become a fully qualified massage therapist through more in depth study in the future. She’s also taking a few courses on personal growth to better understand herself and others.

A couple of months into Kendall’s 2nd year at university, she realised that her future career is probably not going to require a degree. She was paying out a lot of money purely because society had told her that’s what she was supposed to do once she finished High School. She realised that pursuing that piece of paper was the path of least resistance, rather than necessarily the one that will lead her to where she wants to go.

Kendall also realised that maybe the most important thing to do at this stage in her life was really figure out what exactly it was she wanted to do. And maybe this should have been her first step after high school instead of jumping straight into college, maybe it should be everyone’s.

“This honestly seems like a dream come true. I’ve been conditioned to crave and seek adventure. I recently dropped out of college because of a much needed break. I found that I was more down than I should be due to a lot of things surrounding my college experience.”

Kendall has bounced around the US all throughout her childhood living in 7 different cities growing up. When she found Edumadic, it gave her an opportunity to take that adventurous spirit global, while still having the safety net of a group to share the experience with. As well as the travel aspect she was excited to have the time and space to explore some other interests and really think deeply about what direction she wants to take her life in.

Fun fact about Kendall, she ran a marathon when she was 13! Although these days, she’s replaced her running shoes with a hula hoop and a camera.

Caitlin is a 22 year old American and recent graduate of the University of Michigan where she earned a degree in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Science.

Like so many students before her, Caitlin wasn’t satisfied with immediately fulfilling any career expectations upon graduation. As her peers began to accept 9–5 jobs, she started asking different questions.

“…I feel like I’ve only just begun my educational journey…how can I continue to learn on my own? What type of lifestyle will provide the space and community to do that? Randomly stumbling upon the Edumadic website, I felt a wave of excitement, that someone, somewhere, was thinking along the same lines that I was.”

In her quest to continue learning, Edumadic allows Caitlin the time to reflect on the material and discussions she has absorbed during the last four years of university, and identify where there might be gaps in her education, as well as where there is room to grow.

Caitlin intends to develop her own program for college-aged students that would give them the opportunity to explore their personal purpose in life and how they can reach their full potential.

“I believe that every young person should have the space to be asked these important, and very human questions, about what makes life meaningful for them, I want to create the space for them to do so."

Most days you can find Caitlin enjoying an outdoor adventure, deep in discussion with her fellow Edumads, and soaking up every second of this experience. She learned that some of the greatest rewards in life often lie on the other side of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. She’s promised herself to keep pushing outside of her comfort zone every chance she gets!

Madeline is a 22 year-old Canadian who graduated this year with a degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy from the University of Guelph.

Back in high school, Madeline developed a deep interest for the criminal justice system in Canada. And as she began traveling, her interest expanded to an international level. She started asking new questions, "How does culture affect the prison system of any given country? What policies work best in which countries and why?”

To expand her travel experience, Madeline spent a semester in university taking classes online while living abroad in France. She then continued backpacking for four months afterward in Morocco, Spain, Egypt, and Austria to name a few.

As of today, Madeline has visited 36 countries. Her original goal was to visit 40 countries by 25 years old, but as she plans to hit that goal this year, she’s ambitiously looking to set a new travel goal.

After backpacking through Europe, Madeline returned home to Canada to complete her undergraduate degree. But once she had a taste of combining online education and world travel, she knew she wanted to continue on that path.

While on this trip, Madeline will be starting her MSc in Criminal Psychology and International Criminal Justice online through the University of Portsmouth in the UK.

“Edumadic gives me the space to pursue online education with a community of other like minded individuals and also continue to explore my love of world travel.”

Travel has helped Madeline understand the mindset of the people within a country and how that can be extrapolated to understanding their criminal justice system. Beyond that, she believes travel is the perfect space for personal growth.

“Traveling forces me to step outside my comfort zone, meet new people, and ultimately, learn about myself in the process.”

When she isn’t studying, you can find Madeline taking beautiful photos of Thailand, shooting GoPro footage, or updating her travel Instagram.

Joy is a 20 years old from Kenya and is currently completing her undergraduate degree in Galway, Ireland.

Whilst she is on our Bali program she has been studying writing and web development as she prepares to pursue game design when she returns back to university next semester. She will be aiming to gain real world skills that will enable her to build responsive websites, which will assist her in course and future career.

Whilst she has only travelled to Singapore prior to Edumadic, she has an adventurous spirit, a love for exploring

just knew that Bali would be the best choice to assist her in both her studies and love for adventure.“The atmosphere reflects on Bali as it has its own balance between its jaw dropping forests and its sandy beaches giving me a wide range for discovery. This change in environment is something I covet in my current situation and will give me the boost that I need to make decisions for my future studies”.

Since being on our Bali program, Joy has named and nurtured two stray cats (Winona and Benjamin), a dog (James) and now the girls on the third floor are often greeted by morning “meows” as the kittys wait patiently for their fave gal to awaken!

Marlee is from Pennsylvania, United States and has had her heart set on Bali since she first laid eyes on its beautiful tropical landscapes.

Marlee joined our Summer Bali program to step out of her comfort zone and explore a new part of the world.

‘International travel is one of the most eye-opening adventures an individual can partake in. International experience allows you to develop a real-world understanding of different cultures, races, languages, religions, and landscapes’.

She has previously travelled to both China and Costa Rica, studying, researching and learning about the sustainability and environment of both countries whilst exploring their diverse cultures and landscapes.

Having recently graduated with an environmental geoscience degree, Marlee has decided to use her time on the program to explore graduate school options as well as applying to jobs related to her field of study.

When Marlee isn't working to save mother earth, she is a passionate artist and creator, with a small business selling her beautiful handmade dreamcatchers, flower crowns and canvas prints.We are so excited to have Marlee’s bubbly and warm heart join us on our Bali Summer program.

Caylie is a 24 year old Nevadan who’s been itching to get out into the world for some time.

“I have been wanting to travel for awhile now, but just needed that little bit of extra encouragement. I think having a group of like minded individuals to travel with is just that! Also, I saw that it is possible to earn college credits while traveling, which is amazing because the college I attend now does not offer students to study abroad.”

Caylie has always taken classes online through her college so combining them with world travel was an easy step to take.

As with many young people, Caylie has understandably struggled to commit to a major for her degree and has switched focuses a few times already. She’s been working in hospitality since turning 18 alongside her studies, and her delay in completing her degree has not held her back from starting a career.

Caylie is hoping this time out from her daily grind will help her see the world a little differently, and get some clarity on which direction she wants to take her degree once and for all.

“It may inspire me to choose an entirely new career path, or maybe you have courses I could take that may further me in the current one I have chosen.”

On the program, you can find Caylie out on a hike, at the rock climbing gym, or simply soaking up the European winter sun by the water!

You can find Caylie on instagram: @cayliebaby

Alex is a 23 year-old American who graduated with a degree in Management of Information Systems and a minor in Philosophy from Western Connecticut State University.

Alex spent his summers in college traveling with family and friends to Spain, France, and the Netherlands to name a few. During those trips, Alex caught the travel bug and knew he wanted to continue exploring the world after graduation. But this time, he knew he wanted to travel without the comfort of familiar faces around him.

“I originally planned to backpack Europe for the entire summer, but upon seeing Edumadic, I was amazed with how much the core values of the company aligned with the things I desired. I knew I wanted to be a part of an Edumadic program because it provided the opportunity to both meet and study alongside like-minded individuals, and to do so while traveling the world.”

With the combination of study, travel, and community, Alex knew our 6 week summer program was the perfect fit. During his time here, Alex has be applying to jobs and studying with Code Academy, learning skills that will expand his knowledge of Information Systems and prepare him for a job in the industry.

Although Alex was initially uncertain about flying halfway across the world with people he hadn’t met before, he was quickly at ease.

“I was surprised by how fast a sense of community was fostered amongst the group. The people on this trip are more than just friends now, they’re family. And this experience of solo travel with like-minded individuals was exactly what I was looking for”.

When Alex isn’t working with information systems, you can catch him exploring Ubud and engaging in deep philosophical discussion with the other Edumads.

Alex is an 18 year old french-canadian from Quebec and has joined our Bali summer program with nature in mind!

“Indonesia has been on my bucket list ever since I feasted my eyes on the beauty of its waterfalls and local life”.

Currently studying social sciences and business, Alex is passionate about his degree; however, having been in a classroom setting for so long, this style of learning began to drain him of his motivation.

‘I wanted to attend the Edumadic program because it is exactly what I have been looking for. To travel and pursue business-minded course along the way’.

He follows many sports closely and has a passion for Formula 1 racing. In his spare time, Alex enjoys photography and videography.

Whilst Alex has travelled before, this will be his longest trip away from home and we are so glad he chose to join us! This trip has truly enabled him to feel more confident, not only in travelling, but also in who he is as a person.

Josh is a 22 year old Philippines born American who dropped out of a Film and Television Production degree to pursue a career in Software Development.

After watching the documentary “Ivory Tower” in his critical thinking class at college, Josh became completely disillusioned with the formal education system. As a result of watching this documentary and seeing the success of family and friends doing programming work, Josh decided to drop out of college indefinitely and educate himself through online courses and resources. He was already taking a number of these courses as well as working on personal development when he heard about Edumadic through a friend. He’d already proven to himself that he has the self-discipline to educate himself this way, having taken up the Ketogenic diet as a new years resolution in 2015 and losing 60 pounds in 110 days!

Josh wanted to travel the world for some time now, to experience and learn everything that comes with the such an opportunity.

“Since the end of 2012 and the start of my first year in College, all I’ve ever known with definite resolve was that I wanted to explore and wander the world.

Due to financial reasons, I wasn’t able to leave my home area for a University or College far away. I deeply envy all my friends who were able to experience new environments, meet people, and build a sense of excitement being around a different way of life. There’s so much more out there for me than the 1% of the world I’ve been exposed to. With a quarter of my life already lived, I think it’s about time I got out there to see what I’m missing!”

Thanks to Edumadic, his desire to travel and discover is even greater than before!

Josh is studying programming through a number of different resources online including edX and treehouse, and also likes to spend time exercising and reading books in the personal development genre such as the Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday, and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

Taylor is a 20 year old American from Idaho who spent a gap year after high school traveling around New Zealand and participating in the WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) program, which completely changed her outlook on traditional education.

After realizing she was unable to reintegrate herself into the American college culture at Southern Oregon University, she decided to take a break and pursue more real life experiences through travel.

“Ever since coming home from a year in New Zealand I felt there would never be another way to satisfy my thirst for adventure. I wanted something more challenging, something that provided hands-on life experience, education, and excitement at the same time. The four years of book learning I had signed myself up for suddenly seemed like a jail sentence. I want to streamline my education while not sacrificing my youth trapped in the walls of a classroom.”

While Taylor is interested in studying sustainability and permaculture, she’s also an aspiring photographer and media producer — and runs her own production company! On this trip she will be continuing to develop creative content as well as independently study the industrial agriculture of foreign countries.

Artasia is 20 years old from Texas, United States.

She has been looking for an opportunity to study abroad since she began college and as of Fall 2019, she will begin a 15 month accelerated bachelor of nursing program, and not have the time or the means to travel until after graduation.

‘Although nursing is my passion, I can not wait to satiate my need to travel, experience new cultures, make connections with like-minded people, experience a world outside of the stuffy library, and actually make use of my school's online courses’

Whilst on the program, Artasia will be completing her prerequisites in pathophysiology and pharmacology. Due to these classes being completely online, she hopes it will give her space to breathe as well as refocus and improve her attention to her studies.This is her first time to Asia, her only international experience beforehand being to Ireland with her college marching band.

Artasia’s proudest achievement is the independence she developed at a young age. Her family didn’t receive the same opportunities as she has had and her school wasn't the best in college preparation so she took to her own devices to ensure she had every chance possible to get in.. and she did!

“I learned that I can't just sit and wait for something to happen, or to always depend on someone else. I have to know when it's time to make moves on my own, and when it's time to take a step back and get help. There are a lot of people living at one extreme or the other. Being too dependent, or too proud to ask for help. I'm proud of my finding what works for me, at a young age”

Anna is a 23-year-old American who has a degree in Health Science from Benedictine University near Chicago, Illinois.

Throughout university, Anna made a point of collecting life-long experiences through mission trips to communities in need. Her first time on a plane was to the Philippines, where she spent 1.5 weeks building houses for a community. Since then, Anna has also spent 3 weeks in Bolivia assisting in orphanages and providing care at the local hospital.

After graduating, Anna decided to take time off of school and work to save money for graduate school. With the time off, she really focused on what career path she wanted to pursue.

“Originally, I was leaning towards being a Physician’s Assistant, however with my experience as a CNA at a nursing home, I realized that I’d be more interested in pursuing Public Health. I really enjoy the administrative side of the Health Care System and I hope that this will give me the chance to make an impact on the system altogether”.

Along with her change of interest in careers, Anna realized that enrolling in some refresher courses will better prepare her for Grad school. Anna found Edumadic at the perfect time! During our trip, Anna is working on introductory courses in Psychology and Business. By the time Anna returns home, she will be in the perfect position to start applying for Post-grad programs.

“I really enjoy the free time that Edumadic offers. It also gives me the opportunity to really focus on school while traveling to new places. I am interested in enrolling in online Masters programs that will allow me to continue my passion for traveling.”

When Anna isn’t hard at work and acing exams, you can find her lounging by the pool, pursuing her interest in photography and updating her travel Instagram and blog!</p>

Halle-rose is a 19 year-old Canadian who grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. She’s most often found soaking up the sun on the beaches of Florida, and most recently, Bali!

After completing two years of a degree in elementary education at Flagler College, she found herself questioning if it was the right path for herself.

“Now as graduation seems to be coming at a scarily alarming pace, I wonder what I really want to do, what my purpose is, and what will make me truly happy in the future. More than ever I have found myself feeling very lost with not only school, but with myself.”

During her previous travels, Halle-rose met people who lived more alternative lifestyles; a woman running a clothing company out of a school bus, a couple who buys furniture from Bali and sells it in their store in Florida, and another couple who were inspired to open an acai bowl truck in St. Augustine after living in Hawaii. Halle-rose began to wonder if this was a path she could carve for herself as well.

To graduate on time, she needed to take an online class over the summer. When she stumbled upon Edumadic through a mutual friend, she knew it would be the perfect opportunity to explore a more alternative lifestyle and continue working towards her degree.

During her time on the program, Halle-rose will be taking a course in World Religions, which is a perfect complement to the spiritual and multi-religious culture of Bali.

Chris is a 22 year old Canadian who’s spent the past 2 years working as a designer for a tech company in Silicon Valley after graduating from UC Santa Barbara.

Before hearing about Edumadic, Chris had already planned to quit his job and live the life of a backpacker / digital nomad for a year, working on a couple of projects and also learning some coding whilst travelling the world. His one doubt about this plan was whether it was actually feasible to do both simultaneously. Having travelled before solely as a backpacker, he was aware that the environment he would find in hostels wouldn’t exactly be an ideal study / work environment.

Chris couldn’t believe his luck when he stumbled upon Edumadic.

“It’s almost as if someone heard me and put together a program that addressed all of my worries”.

Whilst Chris is on the Program he’ll be splitting his time between three projects: Mentoring students at an online design academy, continuing to learn front end web development, and designing his own app.

Agravante (a.k.a. Tae) is a 21 year old American from Missouri who currently calls Detroit home, where she works as a project coordinator.

She recently took a break from attending university to focus on herself, dip her toe in the working world, and determine where she wants to direct her energy and attention. She spent time traveling by car around the US, and even briefly moved to Florida in search of a new adventure.

Her search to find balance between an office job and travel eventually led her to Edumadic where she felt a connection to the core mission of the program.

“While researching study abroad programs and their culture, I couldn’t find any that shared my ambition or desires. Being able to see your values balance comfortably within a community is like finding home.”

Working remotely for her company while she’s traveling is teaching her invaluable lessons in productivity and time management, and opening up a world of career possibilities.Aside from keeping up with her professional responsibilities, Tae’s main motivation is to constantly improve herself through daily reading, writing, and reflection; her personal journey is just as important as her professional and educational journey — and she has seen a ton of growth.

“I’ve managed to not only love myself completely, but every person I meet as well. Every new day, with every new experience, is an achievement I am more than proud of.”

After Edumadic concludes, Tae plans to get her cybersecurity certification to allow for more remote work options, and she intends to renovate a van and join the nomadic #vanlife movement!

Charlotte is a 24 year old Canadian who has recently graduated with two degrees in French and Education.

Charlotte first heard about Edumadic way back in 2016 before a single program had ever run! Since that mysterious ad popped up on instagram she’s been eagerly following the growth of the company, waiting for a moment where an Edumadic program would fit into her life. That moment finally came!

“I’ve just graduated with two degrees, I’m not yet ready to dive into full-time employment, and am hoping to continue life as a student for a little while longer. The opportunity to travel with a group of people with similar goals sounds fantastic! It seems as though every Edumad that’s showcased is a person who I’d really love to get to know.”

Her most recent degree was from teachers college. Charlotte hopes to put that to use in the near future, but first she wants to add a few more strings to her bow before signing on with a school board, all of which she plans to do while on this Edumadic program! She’s taking 3 additional courses that will allow her to teach French and History at High School level, and also qualify her to teach special needs children.

It was a year spent in France that gave Charlotte the travel bug.

“As cliché as it is to rave about your year abroad, I absolutely adored it. I met so many amazing people, including lots of international students, with whom I did a lot of travelling.”

Having jumped around Europe during that year, Charlotte is ready to branch further afield to the more humid and culturally diverse region of South East Asia!

These days you can find Charlotte floating around the back streets of Chiang Mai, thanking and politely declining every offer of a tuk tuk ride that is thrown her way, as all good Canadians do!

Kate is a 23-year-old from Berkshire, England who has a degree in Neuroscience from the University of Sussex.

Not knowing what to do after graduating, Kate decided to work for an advertising agency in the pharmaceutical sector. However, a few months in, Kate realized this job wasn’t for her, so she asked herself “what is?”, which is when she found Edumadic!

Kate was initially taking refresher courses during the program to better prepare her for Grad school, and re-igniting her Science Blog. But most of her time has been spent exploring the world of science journalism, a career that Kate always wanted to pursue after graduating, but was always too nervous to take the leap. She would never have had the free time to give journalism a shot while at home alongside a full time job, and also preparing for Grad School.

“12 weeks with Edumadic is the perfect amount of time to travel while also giving me a safe space to take risks and experiment with what I’m interested in”.

Kate has achieved a lot since she joined us. She’s already been paid for her writing, so can now say she’s a professional science writer! She applied to a Masters program in Neuroscience at King’s College in London in our first location, and got accepted into it in the second! She has also lined up a job working for a charity that focuses on research in Early Child Development, and will begin once she returns home.

When Kate isn’t hard at work and balancing all of her projects, you can find her lounging by the pool or hunting down the best carrot cake!

Jess is a 22-year old model from Los Angeles who is currently studying for her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.

Between work and school, Jess has lived a fast-paced life having left a traditional school environment at the age of 15, to pursue modeling.</p><p>While she joins us on our Asian Fall program, she will not only be continuing her studies online, but she is looking to strengthen her relationship with herself and build connections with other like-minded people.

“I first heard about Edumadic from a sponsored message on Instagram. After looking into the programs and reading reviews from past Edumads, I am convinced that this is the change I have been searching for."

Jess has travelled a fair amount before joining Edumadic. There were regular trips during her childhood to Europe, where half of her family is from. But the most formative travel experience she has had was volunteering in Nepal last year.⁠

“I spent most of my time at the orphanage helping to supply the organization with things like new carpets, a fresh coat of paint and a water filtration system. However, the most memorable aspect from this trip was the connection I made with the children; The warmth and love we shared have remained one of the most gratifying experiences of my life."

Jess was already pursuing her undergraduate degree online before hearing about Edumadic, so it was a seamless transition from an online student/model to Edumad!

Madison is a 22 year-old American who graduated with a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois Chicago this past spring.

Having spent 4 years entirely consumed by academia and soccer, Madison was intent on taking a gap year. She wanted to focus, recharge, and pursue passions outside of soccer and school. One of those passions that she hadn’t had an opportunity to pursue was travel.

“The longest travel experience I have is spending 2 weeks in Europe with my family. Those 2 weeks opened my eyes to the fact that there is so much more out there than just the American way of life. My time in Europe left me hungry to see other parts of the world and explore different cultures.”

Madison was also planning to go back to school for Sports Psychology, and needed to devote significant time to grad school applications during this year.

While she was considering her options, Madison noticed that a friend of hers was participating in a program called Edumadic. After getting in touch with her to learn more about the program, she realised it would be a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. She could work on her grad school applications during one of the programs that coincided with the same time that these applications were due.

A year on from that revelation, you can now find Madison watching sunsets, discovering secret cafes and hiking the nearest peak, all while preparing for her future as a sports psychologist.

Raya is a 20 year old digital artist from Bulgaria, who now lives in London.

While on the program, she’s studying graphic design and also creating art and illustrations on a daily basis to keep her creative juices flowing. Fuelled by passion and confidence, she is determined to begin travelling and working as a digital nomad and believes that coming to Bali with Edumadic is the perfect way to begin pursuing her dreams.

“I’m an artist, so I need some time in nature, exploring something new so i can have inspiration for new artworks.”

In just a few short days into our Bali program, Raya has blown us away with her incredible talent for not only digital art, but also the sketches she does by hand. Raya has travelled around Europe extensively, however this is her first time to Asia. Here, she looks forward to discovering not only the beauty of the islands nature, but the Balinese culture and spirituality.

Beyond her artistic talents, Raya is also passionate about dancing and yoga. She’s confident, strong and so proud of what she has made of herself, having come from very little in Bulgaria. She has listened to her heart and followed it to Bali and we are so excited to have her with us for our spring program!

Laura is 20 years old, from Dallas, Texas.

All her life, she has been drawn to travel and it wasn't until her fall semester at college that she realised that her dreams would not be fulfilled by a 9-5.

‘This is the moment that the travel fever started to set in, I began to research, read blog posts, look at flight costs and I slowly began to realize that traveling wasn't as ridiculous as people made it seem. I told myself this is the dream I want to be chasing, not a degree in business where I’m stuck in an office’.

Laura spent the month prior to our asia program travelling around europe, solo. She spent a large part of her trip teaching english in Poland, which inspired her to complete her Teaching English in a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate whilst on our program.

She hadn't done a lot of travel prior to this year. However, she had spent two weeks in France and England in 2018, which of course, made the travel bug worse and has since then been working multiple  jobs to save up for her adventures.

“Throughout my life I was always somebody who was okay with being what other people wanted me to be, changing myself to feel more comfortable around others. Recently over the past year, I have finally begun to become my own person and everyday I’m discovering something new about myself”.

Since being on the program, Laura has decided to pursue fashion design, in the hopes of one day creating her own sustainable clothing line. She hopes to begin studying next year in New York and turn these dreams into a reality!

Sara is a 20 year old canadian, who has dreamt about travelling overseas ever since she was a kid!

“I am always doing research on different places around the work that I would love to travel to but I just don’t know where to begin’.

Currently on her pre-university gap year, Sara finally began her travel adventures by joining our Bali summer program with environmental studies in mind. Undertaking an online course on the subject, Sara hopes to not only learn more about nature through education, but also through her personal experience of being in another country that has a completely different environment, climate and culture.

“I care deeply about the environment and am always learning new ways to make a difference. I think travel while taking this course is a good way to give me new perspective and a different look at the environment from a different place other than my own home”.

In her free time, Sara enjoys jogging, reading, playing with her dog, hunting, fishing and hanging out with her family.

Allison is a 24 year old American student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, currently in her final semester of a Community Engagement and Education degree.

Having spent the first three years of her degree on campus, Allison started to feel limited by the repetitiveness and predictability of college life. Fortunately for her, many of her degree’s credits were offered entirely online. Allison took full advantage of this by packing her bags and moving to Nashville for a change of pace and scenery, where she spent the past year living and studying online.

When she found Edumadic, it appeared clear to her that there was no reason she couldn’t continue studying online from the other side of the world, just as easily as she had been doing from Nashville. Joining the program would also mean that she could get a better understanding of the world we live in.

“I hope to improve my personal impact on the world as I continue to explore, learn, and begin my career…my research and studies have allowed me to understand that if you want to make a difference, it’s important to be completely immersed and respectfully understand the social and environmental issues that you hope to aid in order to be able to make true impact or enable lasting change.”

Allison is taking the final four classes of her degree online whilst she’s with us on the program, as well as staying active by exploring the local fitness scene in each location.

Erin is a 22 year old American from Pennsylvania and a budding entrepreneur. Currently living in Oklahoma City, she has completed two years at Rose State College and will soon be attending Oklahoma University to major in English.

She’s worked hard to put herself through college while balancing retail jobs, and this is her chance to escape her routine for a bit during a transitional phase in her life, and really allow herself the space to grow as an individual and an entrepreneur.

She has been spending her time on this trip learning Spanish while tutoring her fellow Edumads in English and German, and indulging in her artistic side; drawing and painting, writing poetry, and reading keep her creativity flowing every day as she continues to search for inspiration through new cultures, foods, sounds, and colors.

When she first discovered Edumadic, she had been wanting to travel abroad for quite some time, but found life and school to be constant deterrents.

“Being from a small town with very limited travel experience, Edumadic provides a stepping stone into the traveling world for me. It provides community and security by traveling with others.”

Erin is just getting started on her travel bucket list, and she’s confident that the more she explores outside of her comfort zone and the more she learns about the ups and downs of travel, the more she feels confident in her abilities to now travel on her own. She’s already planning to travel through Central and South America next year!

Rylee is a 21 year old American from North Carolina currently studying for her undergraduate degree in international business.

After completing the first year of her associated degree, Rylee had a realisation. Because she had so few credits left to complete her associates degree, she could transfer to a different college and take them online. Rylee was already thinking about travelling while taking these credits before she heard about Edumadic.

Rylee had taken a few trips abroad with her family before, and was planning to travel through Europe while completing her credits. However, having never travelled solo, an Edumadic program where she could have the security of travelling with a group, particularly of other people studying online, was very appealing.

“I feel like Edumadic would provide a great learning experience, a controlled environment where I can try new things with the safety of a group and also the option for independence that I will need to travel on my own in the future.”

As this program comes to a close, Rylee has certainly caught the travel bug. She’s already got road trips across America, a work visa in Australia, and a return to Asia in the works for 2019!

When Rylee isn’t acing her college exams, you’ll most likely find her in the surf, stuffing her face, or gatecrashing the nearest hostel.

Declan is an 18-year-old Canadian from Alberta.

Having just graduated high school, Declan was unsure of what to do next.

“I was unsure if I wanted to spend this money on travel or head directly to post-secondary, and that is when I discovered Edumadic, which sounded like the perfect solution to my issue.”⁠

During our Asia Fall program, he will be taking some first year university courses through Athabasca University in both science and French language.

“My interest in bilingualism stems from my personal experiences with others who can speak more than one language with ease and witnessing firsthand how valuable a skill it is. It also provides me with a fun new way to challenge myself and make connections with other people I otherwise would not be able to”.

Declan already has plenty of travel experience under his belt, having traveled to Mexico and Europe, where he spent a month living with a host family in France. He also spent a few weeks in Scotland competing in judo.⁠You can usually find Declan out exploring nature, playing his ukulele or seeking out delicious Thai cuisine!

Cassie is a 19 year old from Sydney, Australia and she joins our program after taking a much needed leave of absence from university.

It all started during Year 12 when she felt an immense pressure to choose a degree and attend university; she wasn’t prepared yet to make such a definitive decision about her future career, and she knew travel was calling her name.

Deep down, Cassie knew that she needed higher education in order to pursue her career goals, but she couldn’t quite commit to staying in one location for the next three years of her life. By chance she stumbled across Edumadic on Instagram and says it was basically “love at first sight!”.

She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and North America but had yet to explore Asia, and she became determined to combine both travel and education, which aligned perfectly with her career plans.

Cassie will be working towards a diploma of Freelance Travel Journalism from The Morris Journalism Academy, which happens to be conducted completely online — the ultimate educational experience for aspiring Edumads! Her main priority is to create a career that she is passionate about, and she refuses to settle for anything less.

“The idea of travelling anywhere in the world and getting paid to write about it is my idea of a perfect life. This course will teach me how to write and sell my work to thousands of newspapers, magazines & websites anywhere in the world. My true passion is with animals, so my ultimate goal is to work with and write about all kinds of animals all over the world.”

It’s a bold move to veer left on the traditional educational path and put your happiness first, and she is definitely paving the way for others to follow in her footsteps.

Emma is from the UK and has completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in British History.

These degrees have kept her very busy and unfortunately she didn’t have the opportunity to study abroad during those 4 years of study, as most of the sources she required were in various parts of her home country.

Now, Emma is studying for a Masters in Public Administration through the University of York. She’s able to complete this degree entirely online, and before joining the program was working full time alongside her studies. Whilst on our Bali spring program, Emma plans to write her 10,000 word dissertation.

At just 19 years old, Emma was elected as a politician and between the years of 2012-2017, was a councillor for the chamber of Newport City.

“I knew that my presence meant that young people had a voice. I already knew young people have opinions on what matters, and this was my chance to be heard. I participated in making big decisions and caring about the services that people received. I learned a lot and it gave me a huge opportunity to help people”.

Not only has Emma helped those in her local community, but has travelled to many countries doing some amazing volunteer and charity work. From teaching at schools in Fiji to assisting on projects in Mexico and Belize, there is no doubt that she has a passion for people and adventure.

In her spare time, Emma loves the flute, dancing and has recently registered to become a Zumba instructor, which will soften the return to reality once the program is over!