How Travel Changes Lives
ETA Love Stories
At Educational Travel Adventures, we believe travel should do more than show students the world, it should change the way they see themselves in it.
These are our ETA Love Stories, real moments when intentional travel experiences open doors, spark insight, lead to meaningful connections, and create opportunities that last long after the trip ends.
Student travel with ETA doesn’t just broaden horizons, it changes lives.
When Access Meets Opportunity
From Campus Tour to College Acceptance
By the end of the visit to Cheyney University, one student’s college plans had changed completely. After sharing her interest in attending the nation’s first Historically Black College and University, and explaining how she had researched its history and imagined herself on campus, she was invited by the Director of Admissions into a private conversation.
When she returned from the trip, she shared the news that confirmed just how much that visit had mattered: she had been offered a full scholarship by the Director of Admissions to Cheyney University.
That moment came during an ETA-developed HBCU tour through Washington, DC, led by ETA Tour Manager Myra. While the group explored multiple campuses, the visit to Cheyney stood out because of the access and dialogue built into the experience. Students were welcomed directly by campus leadership and encouraged to speak openly about their goals. For one student, that access turned a campus visit into a life-changing opportunity.
Impact That Lasts Beyond the Trip
Student Travel
Builds Real Connection in South Africa
ETA developed a tour for Veritas College in Georgia to Soweto as part of a cultural exchange hosted by the Phaphama Initiative. Their journey included powerful historic sites like the Nelson Mandela House and the Hector Pieterson Memorial, bringing South Africa’s story to life in a way no classroom ever could.
What made the visit even more meaningful was the group’s commitment to giving back. Veritas College donated vital equipment to Emshukantambo Secondary School, including a microwave, a printing machine, and gardening tools, supporting daily school needs and student programs.
Students also took part in a special naming session where they chose African names with personal meanings, then shared traditional cuisine and learned hands-on cultural practices. It was a day filled with history, learning, and mutual respect.
These are the moments that shape young leaders. We are proud to support experiences that grow empathy, global understanding, and lifelong memories.
www.citizen.co.za/soweto-urban/news-headlines/local-news/2025/11/26/usa-school-donates-to-local-school-during-cultural-scholar-camp/
Inspired by these stories?
Let’s plan a trip that changes lives.
Custom-designed student travel, end-to-end planning by a team of educational experts, and over 30 years of experience helping students discover their place in the world.
