No better experience then traveling the world.

Travis Renz says he's always felt connected to the entire world.

Today, the senior Kentucky State University student from Frankfort is preparing to travel the globe in a "Semester at Sea."

Travis, 28, will join about 600 students from around the U.S. and world on an MV Explorer " a seven deck, 590-foot long, 25-ton ship built in Germany in 2002.

They depart from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Aug. 27 and visit 10 countries before sailing to Hawaii and then San Diego where the voyage ends on Dec. 13.

Along the way they'll stop in Spain, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Vietnam, China and Japan before arriving in Honolulu.

Semester at Sea is affiliated with the University of Virginia and is operated by the Institute for Shipboard Education, a nonprofit group.

The floating campus has nine classrooms, a computer lab, dining rooms, wellness center, central meeting space for seminars and a medical clinic. There's also an 8,000 volume library and computer access to U.Va's online archival resources.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu " the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner from South Africa " is going on the entire voyage and will give lectures.

Prominent speakers onpast voyages include Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa, former presidents Nelson Mandela of South Africa (another Nobel winner), Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union and Anwar Sadat of Egypt; and former India Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Travis learned about the program while doing online research on "graduate schools, diplomacy schools and nonprofit schools.

"Semester at Sea popped up on the second Web page I went to, and I thought " wow."

He says he figured it was too late because he has only two semesters left to earn a bachelor's in liberal studies with a minor in international studies.

Travis also knew he couldn't afford the $29,000 price tag. He says he struggled to raise the money " at one point telling U.Va to return his deposit because of the cost. But he says U.Va worked out the finances.

"I took a risk," he says, and received a full scholarship after writing several essays to include in his application.

He still has expenses for books, vaccinations costing $350, visas totaling $470 and money for independent travel in the various nations.

He's had two local fundraisers and a third is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Capital Plaza Hotel, in the Kentucky Room and bar.

Travis loves his middle name " Benassi " and believes he inherited a compassion for diversity.

His late grandfather, Geno Benassi, immigrated to Kentucky from Italy, and his family ran an Italian restaurant that became a local institution " Putt's " in downtown Frankfort for 40 years.

"He brought with him a unique culture filled with food, love and passion," Travis wrote in one of his essays.

Thinking about his upcoming semester, Travis says, "The opportunities in front of me with this are just phenomenal " being in those different cultures, meeting new people and making connections around the world.

"I want more of an international, diverse mind. I want more of that energy of the world.

"We have diversity in Frankfort. But I want to be able to offer more to my hometown and still offer myself to the world."

In one of his essays he wrote, "I want to witness first hand the love and the passion of people different than myself.

"I want to learn how to capture and share these experiences with others. I want to provide aid to a more informed community while staying true to my own individuality."

Travis has registered for four classes through the University of Virginia: World Short Story " World Literature in English, Intercultural Communication, Rhetoric of Film, and Global Studies, a required class for all students.

He will sign up for one more class once he boards, "for a total of 15 credit hours. All courses will transfer to KSU after I complete the fall semester."

Semester at Sea itineraries are designed to examine global economies, health, cultures, religions, human rights and sustainability.

Students meet daily in the classrooms while at sea. In port, faculty members lead in-country experiences " such as museum trips, walking tours and cultural visits " that enhance classroom learning.

Fieldwork accounts for 20 percent of a student's grade in each course.

The students' first assignment is to read author Jamaica Kincaid's 81-page book, "A Small Place," before arriving in Nova Scotia Aug. 27. The book about the Caribbean island of Antigua will be discussed in small groups the first night of the journey.

Libby Marshall, chairwoman of the Capital Community Economic-Industrial Development Authority, knows Travis through her sons, Taylor and Ryan, and is proud of Travis' achievement.

"I think it is such a great success story coming about without the Ivy League or big school credentials," Libby Marshall says. "Travis is indeed a really good young man. He has that gentleness of spirit."

Taylor Marshall and his wife, Natalie, had a recent barbecue fundraiser to help Travis with his expenses. Another was held Wednesday at Capital Cellars on Broadway.

Travis took the long road to get to college.

After high school he moved to Atlanta to pursue a culinary profession and went to bartending school.

"I got in the corporate world with Marriott and bartended at a really nice Renaissance Atlanta Hotel," he says. "I was making $32,000 a year, which was great for a 21 year old."

He eventually transferred to the Marriott in Lexington, "and got tired of the corporate world. I needed more, and always wanted a degree."

After one semester at KSU, Reba Rye, assistant professor of fine arts, "kept pushing me to get in the Whitney Young honors program, and I kept saying, "No, no, no, I'm not an honors student.'"

But while working at Lowe's in Frankfort, Travis met Dr. Sam Oleka, the dean over the honors program, and soon wanted to give it a try.

"My main goal was to strengthen my writing and vocabulary skills," Travis says.

"I got in Whitney Young and liked it. Doors started opening up and my international education became reachable."

After graduating from KSU, Travis says he would like to get a master's from the University of Kentucky's Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.

And then what?

"I know I don't want to just sit behind a desk," he says. "I'd like to help small vineyards, small farms.

"I'd like to import and export fine Italian foods, or just work for a small nonprofit that goes to every country and does something positive to help humanity."

Since 1963, Semester at Sea has sailed on 1,000 voyages, educated more than 50,000 students from 1,500 colleges and traveled to more than 60 countries.

On a typical voyage, there are 35 faculty members, 35 support staff and 200 senior officers and crew.

The MV Explorer travels 60,000 nautical miles each year.

For information regarding fundraisers for Travis, e-mail him at travis.renz@kysu.edu.