With his new podcast “Around the World in 80 Stays,” Sean Keene—a third-year student triple-majoring in journalism, political science and Spanish—is striving to bring diverse international perspectives to the U.S.; those of which he gained from both his own study abroad experiences and those of his guests.

Along with being a triple-major, Keene is the president of the Undergraduate Political Science Association (UPSA) as well as an executive board member of the Spanish Club. Upon graduating with his bachelor’s degrees, he hopes to center his career on covering and disseminating news about Latin American politics.

“...there are major global effects that happen in Latin America, and we need to be more informed on those,” he said. “It’s a region that really captured my heart, and it’s something that I’d like to dedicate myself to.”

Keene’s fondness of Latin America and desire to base his career in journalism around it surfaced after studying in Santiago, Chile, which he did through the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC). 

“That was the most life-changing of all…I got to do a lot of incredible things, do a lot of traveling, meet a lot of really great people and…utilize that experience to be who I am now,” he said.

Although Keene found his purpose in Chile, this was only the second of his three study abroad trips. He took his first trip to Spain through the Iowa Hispanic Institute, and this past summer, he strengthened his reporting skills in Paris, France. 

Reflecting on his experiences, Keene said his day-to-day routine would vary depending on his course load as well as the culture, customs and norms of the country he was in. However, he noted using every available opportunity to immerse himself in the nations’ culture, whether that be through exploring, visiting museums to learn the countries’ history, trying new foods, producing stories or connecting with the locals.

According to Keene, perhaps one of the most common concerns students have when debating whether to study abroad is if they will be able to keep up with their coursework while simultaneously immersing themselves in the experiences around them. Keene said that from his experience, his workload was light, and immersion was his homework.

“I’m studying politics, history, international relations, language…so I’m learning or doing my homework just by being in the streets, just by asking questions about what’s on the street, just by talking to people and understanding their stories,” he said. “I got a lot of joy out of just doing that.”

Building on this point, Keene said he never felt under pressure and that he was “doing homework by learning and learning by doing homework.” He also believes that in situations like these, immersion and engagement are active choices.

Keene noted that during each of his travels, there were a handful of cultural practices that stood out to him in each country. He said that one thing that stood out to him about Spain in particular was “siesta time”: a rest period taken in the early afternoon that is customary in many European countries.

“Time felt a lot more fluid,” he said. “It’s a lot less rigid than how it works here (in the U.S.), both in Paris and all the places in Spain that I went to."

Although he mentioned there were many cities in Latin America where he witnessed a cultural, demographic and visual shift, Santiago seemed to be a highly westernized, international city. Therefore, the biggest aspect of the Chilean culture he worked to accustom himself to was the dominant language: Spanish.

Although they offer a change of scenery, fun memories and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, study abroad experiences are also immensely helpful in assisting undergraduate students—especially those in SJMC—with building their portfolios and establishing themselves in a competitive field. Keene said that specifically for SJMC students, there is “no better thing” that one can do than study abroad with a focus in journalism.

“If you want to understand what it truly means to be a journalist…to find the untold stories, to really hear how the world is different, but at the same time, understand how we’re all human beings, you need to be going abroad,” he said.

As indicated previously, Keene’s time in Chile offered him a “perspective-changing experience”; that is, specifically in relation to his work in journalism. One drastic perspective shift he witnessed was in relation to the U.S.-backed dictatorship that previously ruled over Chile for 16-17 years. He spent much of his time interviewing, learning about and investigating this topic.

Keene set the scene by explaining how despite the dictatorship’s many atrocities, many Chileans look back fondly on this time as a result of “not having to worry” and wanting to preserve their interests, personal security and economic security. Without speaking directly with locals and individuals who had first-hand experience with the former government, understanding this perspective would have likely been impossible.

“For SJMC, saying a perspective change is so cliche—it’s living the perspective change that is the biggest part of it, and it helps inform how you see people,” Keene said. “Studying abroad has changed not only how I view journalism and how I approach it, but we need more SJMC students studying abroad and going after these intentional perspective-changing stories…”

Although sentiments regarding this previous dictatorship were a frequent research topic for Keene, he said the majority of his stories were based around his own first-time experiences abroad. In Chile, he produced food reviews, covered domestic and international soccer matches and even provided insight about how Latin America may have been influenced by the 2024 U.S. election.

Inspired by his numerous study abroad experiences, Keene decided to create his podcast “Around the World in 80 Stays,” which is dedicated to imparting his knowledge and newfound global perspectives to others here within the U.S.

“It has become sort of a mini passion of mine, to be able to give this experience to someone else,” he said.

Not only does Keene’s podcast reflect on his own experiences abroad, but it also features numerous other SJMC students who bring compelling stories to the table.

“I started this [podcast] to chronicle study abroad experiences to not only show prospective students, but also just to talk with other students about how they viewed their study abroad experiences and how it’s going to shape and change them,” he said.

Along with providing a better understanding of how study abroad opportunities shape character and career trajectories, Keene’s podcast sheds light on places that “are off the beaten path” and that “people need to know more about.”

“I want to know the people who took a step outside of their comfort zone and went to places that they knew they probably weren’t going to vacation to or ever go to in their lives and say, ‘I’m ready to make my mark here and I’m ready to be changed and sculpted by what this experience could give me,’” he said.

Finally, in combination with wanting to share global perspectives and highlight how these experiences help to shape an individual’s character, Keene hopes that his podcast will combat the anxieties and “what-ifs” surrounding study abroad. He emphasized that although this may be an intimidating step to take, students are never alone or without resources to guide them.

“I have yet to encounter someone who’s had a truly negative study abroad experience,” he said. “I’m here to help soothe this, because I was not immune from questions and what-ifs and anxieties in any one of my study abroads…”

Looking back, Keene expressed his thanks to the study abroad department, scholarship donors, faculty, staff and all those who helped him gain access to these three study abroad experiences. He emphasized that these lessons, experiences and memories would not have been possible without them.
 Moving forward, Keene is hoping to continue exploring beyond the borders of the U.S.; that is, whether it be through another study abroad experience or leisurely travel. In the meantime, however, his focus will be on sharing his stories and serving as a guide for others

“I just want to dedicate my life to—if I can’t have the opportunity to go again—give other people that opportunity and give other people that joy that comes from seeing the world,” he said.

To hear more about Keene and other SJMC students’ study abroad experiences, feel free to visit his podcast “Around the World in 80 Stays” on YouTube! To start planning your own trip, check out the university’s Study Abroad website.