University of Iowa (UI) honors student Sean Keene, a triple major in political science, broadcast journalism, and Spanish, has studied abroad three times as an undergraduate. Now a third-year student at Iowa, Keene launched a podcast in September—Around the World in 80 Stays—dedicated to helping other Hawkeyes do the same.
“For me, this was definitely a passion project,” Keene said. “I wanted a platform, and anyone who knows me will tell you that when it comes to studying abroad and the things I've been able to do, I won’t shut up about it. Because, as cliche as it is to say, it was truly life changing.”
Each podcast episode features a fellow UI student who has studied abroad, offering honest stories, personal advice, and answers to questions many students have—showing that study abroad is possible for any student at Iowa, regardless of background or major.
“I want to give students not just the ‘go study abroad’ spiel, but detail how to make it possible and why students should go abroad,” said Keene.
The podcast covers a wide range of topics—from financial concerns and culture shock to living with a host family. Keene, who also serves as a Study Abroad peer mentor, brings firsthand experience to his podcast. He aims to demystify the experience by sharing the perspectives of Hawkeyes who have already taken the leap.
“I might not be able to cover all the bases, but I wanted to bring my insight, and the insight of others who have gone abroad, to these topics,” said Keene. “There are students like you who have had the exact same worries.”
Keene added that many of these concerns are more common than students realize.
“I’m of the mind that at this point in time, no one has a unique worry or anxiety about going abroad, just a different way of expressing it,” Keene added. “And we can assuage those worries properly just by listening to the podcast.”
In the second episode of the show, Keene interviews Veronica Ramirez, a global health studies major who interned abroad through the IES Internships Cape Town program in South Africa. She’s also a first-generation college student and a fellow Study Abroad peer mentor.
“She talked about the life changing, eye-opening—almost distressing at times—things that she experienced abroad while shadowing healthcare workers at a hospital,” Keene explained. “She also shares the wonderful scholarship opportunities she got in that episode. Students need to hear about those things.”
Keene’s study abroad journey began in 2024 in Spain through the Iowa Hispanic Institute. He then spent a semester abroad through the USAC Santiago in Chile program, followed by spending this past summer in Paris through an independent program, American University of Paris' Reporting Paris: Media Practicum. Each experience, he said, built on the last.
“Going abroad once is important because that one time is a catalyst,” Keene said. “It will change how you think. It will change the formulas of who you are.”
That, he says, is what makes international experiences so powerful—not just academically or professionally, but personally.
“By listening to this podcast, you’ll hear stories about people’s lives who have changed so you can be catalyzed to change your own,” Keene said.
Keene says going abroad is more than a travel opportunity—it’s a chance to reshape how students understand the world and their place in it.
“Most college students come into college thinking that they are about to enter adulthood,” Keene said. “But most 18-year-olds haven’t been out in the world yet. They’ve never been exposed to truly what the real world is like.”
Keene believes exposure to other cultures, people, and locations creates better-informed students who are ready to go out into the world after college.
“Your intelligence means nothing without experience,” Keene said. “Your experience will inform your intelligence. That is the biggest thing that I think people should take away from this podcast. [Studying abroad] will inform your intelligence more than anything that you can learn in a classroom.”
When asked how he came up with the name of his podcast, Keene shared that it was actually his father, Charles Keene, who thought of it.
“I have to give credit to my dad,” Keene said. “He said, ‘You should call it Around the World in 80 Stays,’ which, of course, is a reference to the Jules Verne novel Around the World in 80 Days. I thought it was awfully corny at first, and your parents can never have good ideas at this age. But then when I actually started the show, I realized I still had no title for it. So, I tried it, and it stuck.”
“I do thank him for that, because I believe it fits perfectly for what I’m trying to do,” Keene added.
In addition to listening to his podcast, Keene encourages students to use the resources offered at Iowa.
“Studying abroad is possible for everyone,” said Keene. “Go to the Study Abroad office and talk to them. It just starts by asking questions, all you have to do is ask. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Sean Keene’s podcast seeks to push students at Iowa to study abroad and expand their horizons by hearing the experiences of others. The show is not affiliated with the University of Iowa Study Abroad office, but links to Study Abroad resources can be found in every episode.
“You can live in your own bubble for so long and be fine with it. But the world is waiting for you to see it, to expand your own bubble, and to expand your perspective. That will make you a better person, because you can’t understand the world until you’re actually out there living in it.”
Learn more about Study Abroad at Iowa
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.