Some lucky University of Michigan-Flint students embarked on a trip of a lifetime this summer. It was all thanks to the Wyatt Exploration Program, a one-of-a-kind experience focusing on global engagement and learning through experiences. Students traveled to Germany’s capital city, Berlin, along with Wyatt fellow and UM-Flint associate professor of history Christopher Molnar.
While this wasn’t Casey DeMoss’ first trip abroad, she enjoyed it nonetheless. “I was most excited to simply exist in a new place,” said DeMoss, who graduated this past spring. The Fenton native has also visited England, France, Japan and Taiwan.
DeMoss added that her favorite part of the trip was visiting the Jewish Museum, which featured a mix of traditional and nontraditional exhibits and presentations. “It was such a unique experience. I was amazed at the multitude of different ways they used to make an impact on the viewer, and I thought their use of multi-sensory experiences was extremely impressive.”
DeMoss said the Wyatt trip made a profound impact because it provided her with the opportunity to connect with the city in the current day after learning about its past. She adds that having an itinerary planned by Molnar added to her overall experience.
“It was like experiencing a week-long live walking lecture,” said DeMoss.
History and social sciences joint program major Natalie Peck added that the trip allowed her to immerse herself in German culture. “I loved getting to see and try so many different things that just aren’t available in the United States.” This was the Fenton native’s first time outside of the U.S.
Peck said that the trip provided her with multiple benefits, the first being a tangible way to experience history. “I got to experience German history firsthand versus reading about it in a textbook. It made what I was learning about more personal.”
She added that the trip also changed her perspective about world history. “History provides the foundation on which present-day cities are built.”
Peck adds that she was most interested in seeing the Berlin Wall.
“It seems so crazy that a wall was built to separate a whole city based on a largely fictional line. It was interesting to see what remained and how things around it adapted to it and evolved separately,” said Peck.
Nick Lee, a ’23 history graduate from Montrose who holds a social studies teaching certificate said the trip was the “cherry on top” of his journey towards a bachelor’s degree and something he’ll never forget.
“I hope that I can teach high school students so that I can share my pictures, souvenirs, and stories from Berlin. I want to teach students that it’s more than a place on a map, and that its culture is alive, thriving and adapting as time goes on.”
Lee’s favorite part of the trip was The East Side Gallery, an iconic display of street art and a historical landmark. “Getting to walk down the gallery and see some of the famous pieces that are on display there was amazing,” he said.
DeMoss, Peck and Lee also talked about their favorite dining experiences during their trip. “[The dining experiences are] something that I personally believe Dr. Molnar did an amazing job at,” said Lee. “To help experience that melting pot culture, Dr. Molnar had us try different cuisines from Turkish to Italian to Vietnamese.” Lee enjoyed all of these experiences, but by far his favorite dining experience was the Turkish barbecue. “The design of the meal, on top of the quality of the food and the company, made it easily one of the most memorable dining experiences of the trip.”
Peck said that she was intrigued to learn that some of the restaurants had special menus devoted to asparagus, which was in season during their trip. “It was fun to try something a little out of the box like that,” she said. DeMoss said she enjoyed trying things like a Turkish lamb dish called döner kebab; currywurst, or a German sausage sliced and covered in a sauce of ketchup mixed with curry powder; and schweinshaxe, which is a roasted ham hock.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Wyatt program will focus on the history of Ireland, with an all-expenses-paid trip taking place in spring 2024. The trip is open to all history majors and minors. The Wyatt Exploration trip is just one example of the opportunities that the UM-Flint History program has to offer to its students. To learn more, visit its website.