On Monday, a select group of students departed Lee University to spend a semester abroad in Cambridge, England for the annual “Semester in Europe (SIE): Cambridge.”

The study-abroad program offers participants the unique opportunity to earn 15 credit hours while immersed in the historical city of Cambridge.

The group visits celebrated sites across the United Kingdom such as Stonehenge, London, the Lakes District, Bath, Durham, and Edinburgh, Scotland. The students will also visit the Republic of Ireland in early March.

While in Cambridge, students complete courses in British history, British literature, and a C.S. Lewis class. The participants not only learn about influential writers, but they merge their in-class studies with first-hand experience, visiting historic sites like Shakespeare’s Stratford home, Wordsworth’s home in the Lakes District, and C.S. Lewis’ Oxford residence.

The trip culminates with a two-week independently-arranged backpack tour across Europe. Students have the opportunity to arrange their own itineraries and travel accommodations to European cities like Paris, Prague, Barcelona, Venice, and Rome.

The faculty trip director this year is Dr. Steve Swindle, associate professor of political science, who will be accompanied by his wife Heather.

The 2012 Semester in Cambridge participants are Hannah Alamo, a communications major from Niceville, Fla.; Robert Barr, a history major from Chattanooga ; Natalie Brouwer, a theatre and public relations major from Black Mountain, N.C.; Brady Effler, a history major from Chattanooga ; Ellen Hodges, a history major from Westchester, Ohio; Alainy Kendall, a business major from Waynesville, Ohio; Lindsay LaFourtune, a history major from Greenville, S.C.; Joshua Mitchell, a biblical studies and theology major from Marietta, Ga.; Anthony Harrison, a theatre and music business major from Powell; Jennifer Shreve, a discipleship ministries major from Knoxville; Juliana Steimer, an elementary education major from Knoxville; Alissa Studer, a psychology major from Painesville, Ohio; Nora Swindle, an undeclared major from Cleveland; Natalie Wolfe, a psychology major from Brandon, Miss.; and Nathaniel Zimmerly, a business administration major from Cleveland.