Joseph Lenzo, Xen Bossard, Keyla Valerio, Emma Bryant, Julianna Bullis, G. Pennisi and Gita Barua during their visit to the shrine of Kamakhya, the Goddess of Desire.

Bringing the page to life

Article by Megan M.F. Everhart Photos courtesy of Gitu Barua and Julianna Bullis March 10, 2025

Study abroad trip to India provides new perspectives on literature, culture and service

Xen K. Bossard has read a lot, but a Winter Session study abroad program to India gave the University of Delaware junior the chance to connect stories to their settings in a way he hasn’t before.

Bossard, a double major in English and finance who is minoring in entrepreneurship, and other students on the program read stories from Indira Goswami’s The Shadow of Kamakhya, which are set in the state of Assam. They visited the shrine of Kamakhya, the Goddess of Desire.

“In the story, the goddess was dancing for her own enjoyment, and the king sneaks up to watch her,” Bossard explained. “But the hill is really windy and steep, so I thought about how much effort the king had to put into watching her.”

“When you study authors, you often can only imagine the background and history,” said Gitu Barua, who led the program. “But when you actually walk those places, a lot of things become much clearer.”

The adjunct professor in the Department of English has led Winter Session programs to India for more than a decade, combining a course in business communications with ENGL 380/WOMS380: Women Writers, and providing students with numerous opportunities to experience modern India through stories written by and about Indian women.

“Women Writers was so insightful on the many cultures in India and how those cultures create different women,” said junior G. Pennisi, an honors computer engineering major with minors in computer science and women and gender studies.

“I enjoyed reading about every kind of woman — from writers to mothers, goddesses and even undertakers. Every woman, real or fictional, had something to tell you at the end of the poem or short story,” said Pennisi, who uses they/them pronouns.

UD student G. Pennisi experienced true silence above the clouds in the Himalayan foothills near Darjeeling.

Being of service

The program encompassed more than stories, as the business communications course included a service-learning component that paired students with Parijat Academy, a school outside the city of Guwahati. Students presented to the school, which then incorporated projects into the curriculum.

Jullianna Bullis, a music major with concentrations in history and literature, drew on her background to teach middle school-age girls the American folk song “I Love the Mountains” and then facilitated a songwriting lesson where the students wrote a school anthem.

“It was incredibly gratifying to be immersed in such a vibrant educational community, and it reminded me that learning comes in all forms,” Bullis said.

Pennisi taught a lesson on the ethics of artificial intelligence, discussing how to use AI responsibly, while showing students how it can be fun to experiment with programs.

“I was surprised with myself. I was able to really connect with them. I didn’t think the process would be as fun as it was,” Pennisi said.

Bossard, who is planning to complete the 4+1 degree in teaching English as a second language, originally developed a three-day project to create a school newspaper. However, he discovered that the students needed to start with something more attainable, so he worked with them on journaling instead.

“The biggest lesson I took away from it was being willing to adapt your plan around what helps students and meets them where they are,” he said. “Not expecting them to be at a certain level and not underestimating them, but using where they’re at to get them where they need to be.”

A cup of tea

The students also learned the importance of tea culture, including a visit to Darjeeling, a town located in West Bengal that is famous for its tea.

“It was my favorite location,” Bullis said. “It’s at the foothills of the Himalayas, and we learned a lot about the spirituality of being in the hills by visiting a Buddhist temple and a Japanese Peace Pagoda.”

Students trekked to 10,000 feet and stayed at a lodge with a clear view of Mount Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world, where they visited with what they dubbed “high-altitude cows,” and where, on a clear day, Mount Everest is visible 77 miles away.

They returned with an appreciation for the beverage, and the tradition of afternoon tea.

“It’s not lunch and it’s not dinner, and you always have tea with other people,” Bossard said. “You don’t watch TV and drink tea, but you share time with other people and just connect.”

“The trip and being there with good people did so much for my mental health,” Pennisi added. “My favorite activity was trekking the Himalayas and enjoying the beauty of nature. We were above the clouds, and I experienced true silence probably for the first time in my life.”

Students interested in the 2026 program are invited to attend an interest meeting.

About the Center for Global Programs and Services

The Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) at the University of Delaware is home to the operations of UD Global, which includes Study Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services, World Scholars Program and Global Outreach and Partnerships. The Center provides leadership and collaborative innovation in support of all of the University's global initiatives and campus internationalization efforts, with its Global 360 Strategy serving as a roadmap for infusing international perspectives throughout the University’s scholarship, research, and service missions. Focused on a student-centered approach, CGPS provides expert advising and a wealth of global engagement opportunities to the UD campus community, including the weekly International Coffee Hour in the fall and spring semesters.

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