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Great for : Baby boomers & seniors who love in depth educational & cultural experiences

Travel style : Comfortable 

Physical level : Easy to moderate

Age Range : 50+

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• North America
• Central America & Caribbean
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• Australia & Pacific
• Middle East & North Africa
• Antarctica & the Arctic

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Road scholar reviews & ratings, not a good bicycle trip.

Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, th...

Travel Section Incompetent, Unhelpful, and Won't correct error

I booked a tour to Italy for May 2024. I cancelled in Oct. for a lot of reasons. Before I enrolled, I asked if Road Scholar would book the flights so that on the las...

Jane Johnson

There is a nonrefundable deposit

Please know that Road Scholar will always keep a nonrefundable $100 deposit. I cannot find that buried in all the paper and fine print but they state it is there???...

Air travel cancelled by airline

I love Road Scholar and have been on 14 trips. The accommodations are nice, the tours are interesting, and the guides are knowledgeable. I have always looked forwa...

Kathleen Yoh

Road Scholar flight bookings

I booked a trip and arranged my air travel through Road Scholar. I just discovered that Road Scholar travel never paid for my flight although I paid in full already...

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Editoral Review of Road Scholar

Founded in 1975 as Elderhostel, Road Scholar took its new name in 2010. The name change was meant to better reflect the non-profit educational travel organization’s mission, which is to offer lifelong learning opportunities to adults.

Besides it’s a clever play on words (the takeoff on Rhodes Scholar), “Road” stands for the journeys the group offers, while “Scholar” indicates the deep devotion to learning that participants possess.

Road Scholar Quick Facts

Founded in 1975

Single Traveler friendly ? Road Scholar requires a single supplement on most trips, though it is waived if you are willing to room with another traveler. 

Typical age range : 50+, Some special multi-generational trips offered

Travel Style : Culturally immersive, education focused. Think all the joys of school without the homework

Accommodation Style : Value (3 star) or Premium (4 star) range. Some trips include multiple hotels or guest houses while others have a "staycation" set up returning to the same hotel each night.

Top Regions : Europe, Africa, North America

Average trip price : $2,389

Similar tour companies : Overseas Adventure Travel, National Geographic Expeditions, Rick Steves

Find the best for you. Explore Road Scholar vs Overseas Adventure Travel »

What Makes Road Scholar Stand Out?

• Tours that appeal to a wide range of broad & niche interests
• Budget friendly
• Unique itineraries
• Learn from experts in a variety of fields

Tours with Road Scholar are specifically designed for older travelers and with a heavy focus on gaining deeper knowledge through educational activities, led by guides who are experts in a variety of fields.

Instructors accompanying Road Scholar trips are experts in their fields, delivering lectures and leading field trips. Trip themes may range from history and culture, language study, and music appreciation to birding , bicycling , and baseball (proving that learning can be light-hearted, too).

Traveling with Road Scholar is like a study abroad experience, with classes and instructors, with a group of people the same age who have a similarly extensive hindsight on life - and who love to learn.

They offer a very wide range of physical levels as well as many different trip styles. If you're not sure you'll find a trip to your liking with Road Scholar, take the time to browse the options first.  

What is a Road Scholar trip?

A Road Scholar trip is designed like a study abroad experience for 60+ travelers - whether you're exploring the diverse birdlife of Texas or the incredible culture of Morocco . Almost everything is included in the price and they cater to many different budgets.

Are Road Scholar trips good?

Road Scholar is consistently well reviewed, and they have a 4.7/5 rating on Travelstride. Travelers regularly praise the lecturers and educational aspects of Road Scholar trips as well as the itinerary planning, group dynamics, and organization.

Who Will Enjoy Traveling with Road Scholar?

• Senior travelers & baby boomers
• Life long learners
• Solo and single travelers
• History buffs
• Grandparents and grandchildren

The first thing to note is that Road Scholar trips are specifically intended for travelers 50 and above (often 65+).

Open minded, active, and worldly life-long learners who have a sense of adventure and willingness to try new things, will love the cadence of a Road Scholar trip. Road Scholar is often the first guided trip experience for older travelers.

Perhaps in your younger days you loved going it alone, planning out your itinerary, and loved the spontaneity of traveling off the beaten path. Now you’re ready to have that same spirit, but with a few more ducks in a row and maybe hit some of the classic sites you missed or didn’t truly appreciate before.

Road Scholar has recently added special grandparent-grandchild trips and programs for three generations traveling together. Keep in mind that the focus remains on education, distinguishing Road Scholar trips from most commercial tours.

Group sizes with Road Scholar vary, but many small group study tours are limited to 10-24 participants. They are also very friendly to solo travelers - offering many tours for solos and singles where you can meet new friends, and even romantic interests!

Road Scholar allows for particular good compatibility between you and your tour mates as each journey is designed around specific themes from an educational perspective.

Private groups are also available and a popular option for groups of friends or families.  

Top Destinations

• United Kingdom
• United States

Road Scholar operates tours in 150 countries, as well as every state in the U.S.

Aside from the educational days, many trips include activities in nature, with hiking, kayaking, and other outdoors experiences.

Road Scholar Travel Style

Road Scholar creates their itineraries to encourage learning - both in a scholarly way: from knowledgeable guides, scholars and experts in various fields; and in a holistic way: from the accommodations, meals, and transportation. Your entire journey with Road Scholar is designed as an educational experience.

Tours are referred to as “programs”, guides, tour directors, and leaders are “faculty” and they even have an online “campus store”. Programs are designed to be immersive, exploring a destination in depth, with the focus often on a niche subject. Don't expect to spend 5 minutes at a tourist attraction and then move on. Some itineraries spend a full week in one city, exploring a specific period of time or type of local craft.

Walking trips, train treks, small ship cruises, and riverboat voyages are among the options for trip style. Prices typically stay in the budget/value range consistent with the company’s roots.

Road Scholar offers may ways to save on their trips. These include scholarships, friend referrals, and various specials and deals throughout the year.

Why Choose a Tour With Road Scholar?

On a Road Scholar tour you can expect a lot of unique cultural, artistic, historic, and local insights. Meet artisans, learn local crafts, and feel the camaraderie of being around other travelers who enjoy the educational aspect of travel.

The original Elderhostel grew out of the vision of the late Marty Knowlton, who spent four years backpacking around Europe while staying in youth hostels -- and wanted American adults to have access to similar cultural experiences.

If you consider yourself a lifelong learner and want to spend your vacation amongst others who share your passion for travel and education, Road Scholar is the place for you.

Covid-19 Travel Update for Road Scholar

In 2020, Road Scholar made the tough decision to temporarily suspend their programs through January 2021 due to the safey concerns surrounding the coronavirus. 

Given the Road Scholar traveler age range, the health risks could be severe. Not to mention the interest in international and group travel is significantly lower for this group at the present time.

You may enroll in future trips with the offer of a full refund with cancellation up to 90 days prior to the trip departure. This offer is currently in place through October 31st, 2020.

Road Scholar has a number of virtual classroom options available in a range of durations.

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About the company.

Road Scholar, the not-for-profit leader in educational travel since 1975, offers 5,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Alongside local and renowned experts, experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities, from cultural tours and study cruises to walking, biking and more.

Programs For Whatever You Love to Do:

Much more than a tour, a Road Scholar program is a true learning adventure. Whether you join us in Seattle or Santiago, Beijing or Berlin, Road Scholar programs all share four unique attributes:

--Exceptional opportunities for learning and exploration through special behind-the-scenes access to the world's most fascinating treasures, led by our passionate and knowledgeable instructors.

--The shared fellowship of learning and warm camaraderie, whether a solo traveler or with a companion.

--Comfortable accommodations and appetizing meals.

--Excellent value.

Explore Your Mind and the World:

There are no grades or tests on Road Scholar programs. All that's needed is an inquiring mind, an adventurous spirit, and the belief that learning and discovery are lifelong pursuits.

Established in 1975, Road Scholar offers participants once-in-a-lifetime experiences delivered by local and world-renowned experts. Experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities, from cultural excursions and study cruises to walking, biking and more.

Our Most Popular Tours:

Adventures Afloat Cruises: On these educational cruises, you’ll traverse some of the world's most spectacular waterways, offering you a convenient and rewarding way to learn and explore aboard ocean liners, riverboats and small ships.

Independent City Discoveries: Combine structured learning with independent discovery — each program includes hotel accommodations and some meals, lectures, expert-led field trips and detailed outlines for four self-guided excursions.

Grandparent Travel: Discover and explore together with your grandchild through interactive learning experiences and field trips. Both you and your grandchild will share the joy of learning with other grandparents and their grandchildren, bridging generations and opening doors to discovery and friendship.

National Parks: From Denali to the Everglades and countless beautiful, historic places in between, field trips to America’s National Parks reveal what tourists can’t see on their own, with specialized experts showing you how to track wildlife or lead you to the spot with the most awe-inspiring view.

Outdoor Adventures: From hiking in the Grand Canyon to exploring France by barge and bicycle, to sharpening your golf or tennis skills, these active programs exercise the body and the mind.

Service Learning: From tutoring school children or helping restore a crucial forest habitat for wildlife, to assisting with artifact restoration and museum curatorial work, Service Learning adventures are an opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Small Groups: Love to learn in a small-group setting? Check out this collection of programs that have 10-24 participants.

Why Road Scholar?

You Can't Beat Road Scholar's Remarkable Value : Our all-inclusive prices have no hidden costs. Compare the price of one of our programs to what it would cost to duplicate the experience on your own (if that's even possible) and you'll see what we mean by "remarkable value."

Lifelong Learning and Lifelong Friends : When you participate in a Road Scholar program, you will not only expand your mind, you will be in the company of other people who believe that learning is one of the best parts of life.

Instructors Who Inspire: Road Scholar instructors are both experts in their field and lifelong learners themselves who are excited to answer your questions, hear your opinions and share in your experience.

Solo Participants Love Our Programs : Road Scholar programs are renowned for being inclusive, warm and welcoming for solo participants. We can either match you with a roommate or, on most programs, you can choose to room on your own.

Think Outside the Tour : The educational focus of Road Scholar programs makes us completely different from a commercial travel tour. Road Scholar programs offer educational experiences that answer the what's, the why's and the how-to's.

You Go Where Others Can't : We've been offering educational experiences since 1975 and we've made connections with educators and other local "insiders" all around the world, creating learning opportunities that show you the world in a way that just can't be done on your own or on a "tour."

We've Covered All the Bases : From expert-led lectures and field trips to comfortable lodgings and meals, we handle all the details, including the ones you might not anticipate. We've taken the worry out of the planning, so you can focus on your learning experience.

Peace of Mind Through the Road Scholar Travel Assistance Plan : The Road Scholar Travel Assistance Plan, which is purchased on behalf of every participant, provides 24-hour emergency assistance in the unlikely case of a medical emergency.

Scholarships for Those in Financial Need : Each year, Road Scholar awards $250,000 in scholarships toward programs in North America for those who do not have the financial means to participate.

Our Donors : Each year, thousands of donors contribute to our Annual Fund, helping to cover the gap between the tuition we charge and the actual cost of our programs.

Road Scholar Trips & Specials

Explore Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

On the Home Front in Vicksburg, Key to the Confederacy

Independent Venice: Power and Beauty

Italian Extravaganza: Rome, Florence and Venice at their Finest

Spring Training Baseball with the Boston Red Sox

City Walks: Exploring Stockholm’s Neighborhoods

Ultimate Opera: Two Productions at the Met

Beyond Red Square: An In-Depth Exploration of Western Russia

You get great value on every Road Scholar learning adventure, and this selection of programs offers special savings. Rest assured that when we reduce the price of our programs or offer other special incentives, we do not compromise the quality of your experience.

Please note that participants who are already enrolled in any of the programs listed below will receive the benefit as well. See our list of best-value tours below and then join us on the learning adventure of a lifetime. 

View the latest travel deals from Road Scholar

Want a tailor-made trip instead, your trip, your way, planned by an expert:.

• You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
• Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics

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RUSSIA TRAVEL HOME

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RUSSIA TRAVEL PACKAGES A selection of Russian tours to take as they are or adjust to your needs.

THE GOLDEN RING Visit the heart of ancient Russia. What is the Golden Ring?

MOSCOW TOURS What you can see in Moscow.

MOSCOW DAY TRIPS Get out of Moscow and take a relaxing trip to some of these places

ST. PETERSBURG Some of the sights to see in Petersburg

LAKE BAIKAL TOURS Hiking and trekking around the world's deepest lake in the heart of Siberia

RUSSIAN DIGS Come and work in the field on a Russian Archaeological dig. Full training given on site.

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The Trick to a Great Marriage: Vacation Without Your Partner

More married people are booking travel for one.

Spouses have long split up to travel on girls’ getaways or guys’ weekends. Now, travel companies, advisers and travelers say solo vacations have become a booming business for all kinds of trips. More people have even booked big bucket-list adventures like African safaris or cruises to Antarctica on their own, according to Wendy Marley, a travel adviser for AAA Northeast.

The trend is especially pronounced among retired couples. In 2023, people 55 and over traveled without their significant other 46% more than people in that age group did the year before, according to the U.S. Consumer Traveler Report from market-research group Phocuswright.

Most married solo travelers are women, travel companies say. These solo—not single—women say they are motivated to see the world, even if their spouse isn’t interested in the destination. They also enjoy making new friends and the sense of freedom that comes from independent travel.

“You don’t have to schedule anything with another person, and if you want to eat falafel for three meals a day, you can,” says Lisa Tsering, a 62-year-old Bay Area writer and editor.

Tsering traveled alone to France for her 60th birthday and is planning a solo trip to Bali this spring. Her husband also likes traveling, but she says that because he works hard, his idea of a vacation is a relaxing getaway.

“That’s just not my flavor,” she says.

Independent travels have strengthened her relationship, she says. Each partner gets to see the person they love fulfilled and happy.

Ticket for one

Road Scholar, a nonprofit educational travel organization for seniors, says the percentage of married people who book its excursions alone has steadily increased since 2007. In 2022, at least 60% of the organization’s solo travelers were married.

Female travelers who responded to a 2023 Road Scholar survey said that in some cases, their spouse wasn’t interested in travel or wasn’t physically able.

Cindy Graunke, a 71-year-old retiree from Richmond, Va., enjoys presidential history and literature, so she has taken Road Scholar trips without her husband of 51 years. He opts for fishing trips instead.

On trips to Ohio and Florida, she requested a roommate, which not only saved her money, but introduced new friends during the trip, she says.

“Back when I was not retired, all you want to do is veg on vacation. But then after you retire, you want to learn things,” she says.

Tom Hale is founder of Backroads, an active-travel company that offers hiking and biking tours. Backroads recently created a new category for women adventurers that features walking and hiking trips.

Solo men tend to sign up for biking trips, he says: “If we were to do a walking and hiking trip category for men, it would be crickets. It just wouldn’t sell.”

Most married couples still travel together, the Phocuswright survey found. But one partner having a more flexible schedule has contributed to this change, travel advisers say.

What it means to travel solo depends on whom you ask. Some travelers zoom off on cross-country motorcycle trips or backpacking long distances alone. Others join organized tour groups that cater to specific interests.

Liz Mercer travels often in her work as general manager for a Napa Valley winery and isn’t afraid to sit at a restaurant bar, talk to strangers and ask for local recommendations. She figured that if she could travel solo during work trips, she could extend that philosophy to personal trips. This spring, Mercer plans to spend several solo days in Istanbul and Zurich by bookending a work trip.

She also found inspiration from her 19-year-old daughter, who is traveling solo on a gap year between high school and college. Because Istanbul is a bucket-list destination for Mercer and the trip didn’t work with her husband’s schedule, Mercer decided to go solo.

“When else am I going to have this opportunity to do it?” she says. “I’m 47. Let’s travel. Let’s go.”

Consider the finances

Travel companies are expanding offerings for solo travelers. Cruise lines are adding more single-passenger staterooms and tour groups now have more single traveler options.

Solo travelers say they sometimes pay more to have single rooms, but often save overall compared with the cost of two flights and meals. Having one partner stay home to care for pets also helps save on overall costs.

Older couples entertaining the idea of traveling alone should take a broader look at their retirement goals, says Anthony Chambers, chief academic officer at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. This gives partners a chance to consider their fixed income, but also to intentionally listen to each other’s dreams.

If one partner hesitates about the other’s solo travel, Chambers suggests examining that. “If there are some underlying trust issues that a couple has never really sort of addressed fully, all of a sudden one person going to a destination without the other without their partner is going to feel very threatening,” he says.

Laura Blaquiere plans to spend 14 solo weeks in Europe this year visiting 10 different countries. The 40-year-old human resources adviser from Halifax, Nova Scotia, didn’t travel much in her 20s because she and her husband married young and had three children. She used her vacation time to take care of the kids.

After spending the past three years caring for her mother with early-onset dementia, Blaquiere says she has a renewed urgency to enjoy life. Her mother recently died and Blaquiere is on sabbatical from work. With the support of her husband and daughters, ages 13, 11 and 8, she plans to leave in mid-April.

“It’s going to be my ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ type of trip,” she says. “Although, obviously by love, I don’t mean like finding someone. I’ve been saying self-love.”

Sign up for the WSJ Travel newsletter for more tips and insights from the Journal’s travel team.

Write to Allison Pohle at [email protected]

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UC's record graduating class prepares for next chapter

Uc will recognize the biggest spring graduating class in its 205-year history.

The University of Cincinnati caters to students such as Quincy Allfree who — like the poet Walt Whitman said — contain multitudes.

The Carl H. Lindner College of Business student completed a co-op in Kentucky, earned a certificate in Spanish business and joined a mentoring fellowship all while pursuing a double major in marketing and business information systems.

He will have a large cheering section of family when he walks across the stage at Fifth Third Arena for the largest spring commencement in the 205-year history of the university based on preliminary numbers.

With four ceremonies spread across three days, UC’s spring commencement kicks off at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 25, with the doctoral hooding and master’s recognition ceremony. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are required for all guests. The arena only allows clear plastic bags.

UC’s undergraduate commencement will consist of two ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 10 a.m. Saturday, April 27. The ceremonies will be streamed live .

UC President Neville Pinto will address a record number of graduates at spring commencement. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

Pursuing your passions

Allfree enjoys art and drawing, but he also wanted to learn more about how to reach a bigger audience. So he double-majored in marketing and business information systems in the Lindner College of Business.

And he wanted to learn more about photography and videography, so he minored in media production in UC’s College-Conservatory of Music.

Because he likes to travel, he wanted to brush up on his language skills, so he got a certificate in business Spanish from UC’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Allfree is in UC’s Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program, where he became fast friends with his first-year roommate. The program is designed to give first-generation and underrepresented college students a community of support to help them succeed.

Allfree said being a Turner scholar made the transition to college much easier.

“I think it worked for me because I come from a small high school in Cincinnati,” he said. “I didn’t know many people at UC, so it allowed me to have a built–in community.”

Quincy Allfree, pictured center, belonged to UC Business Fellows, a professional mentorship group in UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II

Allfree joined UC Business Fellows, a mentorship program for future business leaders.

Some of his favorite experiences were trips abroad to Canada and Colombia. He traveled to Toronto in his first year at Lindner. And during spring break he went to Colombia for a study-abroad program, where he put his Spanish skills to the test.

He has a large contingent of family coming to commencement. And he’s looking forward to UC’s Afrocentric graduation celebration called Tyehimba. 

Allfree said apart from imparting new skills and knowledge, UC demonstrated the importance of kindness.

“You never know what people are going through,” he said. “Be a friend to people, even if it’s not someone you see yourself fraternizing with.”

About the spring class of 2024

UC will confer 7,521 degrees to 7,391 students. (Some students are earning multiple degrees.) Both represent new records dating back two centuries at UC for a single graduating class.

UC will award 539 associate degrees, 4,549 baccalaureate degrees, 252 doctoral degrees, 1,886 master’s degrees, 3 micro-credentials and 292 professional certificates.

This year 15% of graduates are first-generation college students. And 210 students come from Cincinnati Public Schools. Nearly 3% of grads are U.S. veterans or dependents of veterans.

New this year, three students will graduate from UC’s micro-credentialing program as electronic health records specialists. UC also will celebrate its first spring graduating class in the new master’s of legal studies program.

UC has seen a dramatic increase in master’s graduates in information technology and baccalaureate graduates in cybersecurity in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services. Meanwhile, the College of Engineering and Applied Science has seen a surge in graduates in its computer science and biomedical engineering programs, reflecting a growing interest in these fields.

The spring class of 2024 has the largest-ever percentage of master’s and doctoral graduates, representing more than 28% of graduates. And nearly 15% of grads participated through distance learning programs.

Graduates hail from 84 of Ohio’s 88 counties, a new record. They come from all 50 states and 81 countries as far away as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Philippines and Japan.

Women represent 56% of the spring class of 2024. And 57 grads will celebrate their birthday during the three days of commencement.

UC College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning graduate Tim Brown will receive an honorary degree during UC's spring commencement at Fifth Third Arena. Photo/Lisa Ventre/UC

Spirit of entrepreneurship

The Board of Trustees will award an honorary degree to UC graduate and international entrepreneur Timothy Brown, co-founder and chief innovation officer for the sustainable shoe and clothing company Allbirds.

Brown, a native of Wellington, New Zealand, is a 2005 graduate of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, where he majored in graphic design and worked in UC’s top-rated co-op program.

Tim Brown was a standout soccer player at UC. Photo/UC Athletics

At UC, he was a standout soccer player who turned professional, playing for the Richmond Kickers in Virginia, the Newcastle Jets in Australia and the Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand.

He used his experience as a professional athlete and a designer to make what Time magazine called “the world’s most comfortable shoe.” Allbirds uses natural and sustainable fibers like wool.

“I consider my design education such a valuable thing for what I’m now doing as an entrepreneur,” Brown said in a 2016 interview.

Brown returned to campus in 2019 to accept UC Athletics’ Outstanding Alumni Award. While there, he addressed students at his alma mater, telling them not to listen to naysayers about what is and is not possible. He was warned how difficult a task it would be to succeed in Division 1 soccer while taking on a demanding program like graphic design. 

“I had to fight through the warnings and prove people wrong,” he told students. 

UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Professor Neil Armstrong folds a paper airplane with his aerospace engineering students during a lesson on flight characteristics. Armstrong taught at UC after serving as a test pilot and being the first person to set foot on the moon. Photo/UC Marketing + Brand

Following a legend

UC graduate Chin Hua “Odin” Ou is following in the footsteps of Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon. Armstrong came to UC to teach aerospace engineering after leaving NASA. Before becoming an astronaut, Armstrong was an engineer and test pilot who worked to improve the aerodynamics of aircraft.

UC College of Engineering and Applied Science graduate Odin Ou wants to design aircraft. Photo/Provided

Like Armstrong, Ou wants to help design better airplanes. He will accept a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Among his UC highlights was publishing a paper on unmanned aerial vehicle design at a conference and competing in an international competition in Fort Worth, Texas, as a member of the UC AeroCats. They finished an impressive fourth overall in the 2023 competition.

Ou said the trip to Texas was epic.

“We built two types of UAV. To transfer them to Texas, we rented a truck and van to drive down from Cincinnati,” he said. “It’s the biggest road trip I’ve taken.” They celebrated their good finish at a barbecue restaurant.

“I would definitely recommend the aerospace engineering program at UC. It’s a great place to study,” he said. “The environment here is very friendly. And there are a lot of resources to use.”

Ou is an international student from Taiwan. During his time at UC, he traveled to Montana, Washington and Florida. And he went to Detroit to visit his younger brother who is studying transportation design there.

Their father is a retired electrical engineer. He is excited to see his parents at commencement. Afterward, he will return to Taiwan to complete his mandatory military service. And then he hopes to work for an aviation company.

“After all these years of studying, it’s a big end to me — and a new chapter,” he said.

UC graduates Jaina and Benton Hellmann, pictured with their family, will graduate together this spring. Photo/Provided

No sibling rivalry

Siblings Jaina and Benton Hellmann are graduating together this year.

Jaina is an Honors Program student who conducted research at a pediatric hospital while studying chemistry in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“Our project focuses on how your body develops an immune ‘memory’ against antigens that have invaded you before,” she said. “I never dreamed of doing biomedical research. I’ve seen myself grow as a researcher and team member at UC.”

Siblings Jaina and Benton Hellmann are graduating together this spring. Photo/Provided

Now she plans to pursue a doctorate in environmental engineering in UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

“She’s the brains of the family,” her brother, Benton, joked.

Benton has a job offer in cybersecurity after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Information Technology in UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services.

“I took some computer classes in high school and that kicked things off with me. I wanted to have a secure future so information technology was a safe bet,” he said.

Benton said he especially liked living on campus.

“It was easy to get to a game and be a part of campus life. And it was convenient to get help from classmates,” he said. 

Jaina said she tried to balance academics with research and her social life. She took part in RallyCats, a student spirit organization that provides a cheering section for a range of student sports. Their motto: They play the games; we make the noise!

“There are so many fun memories, like when we beat Houston to make the College Football Playoff and stormed the field. Being a part of that is something I’ll never forget,” she said.

She wants to pursue a career in water-quality monitoring.

“UC has been a really good place for me to discover who I am as a person in and out of the classroom,” she said.

UC will celebrate spring commencement over three days at Fifth Third Arena. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

Pushing frontiers of medicine

Darl Jacob is earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UC’s College of Arts and Sciences, where he conducted research in immunology.

“We were working on therapeutic interventions for people who are diagnosed with immune deficiencies,” he said.

He has been interested in chemistry since high school. The field of immunology is seeing dramatic advancements in treatments of diseases like cancer, he said.

“It’s been interesting to see how you can modify the body’s immune cells,” he said.

Jacob was born in India but grew up in the United Arab Emirates. His family will come from two continents to attend his commencement. Meanwhile, his brother is in Europe, working on a graduate internship in electrical engineering in the United Kingdom.

“My mom and dad are coming from the UAE and my grandmother is coming from India,” he said.

His dad also works in chemistry as a biochemist.

“The good thing is my dad was able to give me a lot of insights about opportunities in chemistry, particularly if I wanted to go into research,” he said.

After graduation, Jacob will attend Brown University for graduate school.

“One of the biggest lessons I learned is that resilience is a good thing. And it’s really important to ask questions when you don’t know something,” he said. “That’s something I’ll take to grad school.”

Featured image at top: UC students will celebrate commencement over three days at Fifth Third Arena. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

Become a Bearcat

Whether you’re a first-generation student or from a family of Bearcats, UC is proud to support you at every step along your journey. We want to make sure you succeed — and feel right at home.

• College of Pharmacy
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• Student Experience
• Academic Excellence
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• Alumni Association
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• Graduate School
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• Next Lives Here
• College of Engineering and Applied Science

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