Carolina Global Launch in Spain
First-year students in the Carolina Global Launch program row boats at Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain, on Sept. 22, 2022.
The path to UNC-Chapel Hill for Carolina Global Launch students begins with a fall semester studying abroad at one of three universities in Europe. They participate in field trips, visit historic landmarks and museums and sample local cuisines while immersing themselves in the local culture and completing required coursework. For many of the students, this was the first time they had ever been out of the country. When you factor in that this was also their very first college experience, there is a lot for them to digest after just graduating from high school.
Many of the students said that the Carolina Global Launch program made the transition to college easier because they were able to experience this moment in their lives with a small group of about 50 other students. In the past few months, I have come across at least a dozen students I photographed in Spain, hanging out together in Chapel Hill, having already developed friendships in a foreign country before they even set foot on campus.