How I Traveled Internationally for Free in Graduate School

When I decided to go back to school for my MBA part-time while working full-time, I knew traveling might have to take a back seat. Although I had income coming in from my 9-5 job, I was mindful of my mounting student loan debt. So I didn't travel as much as I normally would have during my first year. And then I learned there was a way for students to travel free, and I immediately jumped on it.

I have always been active on campus throughout my schooling, and business school was no different. I joined the executive board of the Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students and became a member of the Stern in Africa (SiA) Club. At Stern, most clubs have a VP/AVP of Treks position on the executive board. You might be wondering, what's so great about that? The beauty of being a trek leader is that in exchange for your time coordinating spring break trips, you get to travel, and all of your expenses are paid. Thanks to that position, I was able to travel to South Africa and Namibia for free.

When it came to extra excursions, I of course had to cover them myself. But not having to come up with $3,000+ for a vacation two years in a row was one of the best parts of attending business school. As a trek leader, I worked with my classmates to pick our spring break trip destination and worked directly with the travel agency to curate the perfect trip for 80 anxious business students. It was a ton of work, but so worth it.

If you ever find yourself in graduate school, don't forget there are plenty of opportunities to travel during your studies. I encourage you to look into them and continue to get your travel fix!