Katrina and Jonathan Barlow

Featured with Katrina (Fall 1979) and her husband, Jonathan, are their daughter, Melanie (Spring 2014) and son, Ryan. These photos were taken during the most recent Semester at Sea Alumni Travel Program trip to Chile (July 2019).

Forty years after Katrina Barlow first sailed with Semester at Sea, she can still recite all 14 destinations of her voyage—in order! With stops in Taiwan, Singapore, Kenya, Venezuela, Jamaica, and more, it was truly a worldwide adventure.

When Katrina's daughter, Melanie, set sail in 2014, those memories came rushing back. With a newfound appreciation for being the parent of a voyager, Katrina joined the Parents Council in 2017.

"It's very enjoyable because you get to talk to parents about Semester at Sea and reassure them that this is a well-established organization that does a really fabulous job," Katrina says.

Katrina's interest in ensuring long-term stability for the organization inspired her and her husband, Jonathan, to make a gift in their estate plan to Semester at Sea. She stresses that while the gift-giving process is very simple, the collective impact of generous donors can be profound.

"Planned giving decisions have a very big impact on the organization," she explains. "If you're a fan of Semester at Sea, this is a good step to keep these programs open to more and more students."

For the Barlows, a gift to Semester at Sea is nothing less than a gift to the future.

Katrina and Jonathan Barlow"We would like to see many more young adults travel to other countries, meet people from diverse backgrounds, and experience the kindness and generosity that you see all over the world," Katrina says. "I think we really would be a different and better nation if more people understood the world."

An Ocean of Support

As long as there are oceans, there will be Semester at Sea. But this permanency is only possible with your support. Help us reach our goal of 55 planned gifts during our 55th anniversary year! Contact Planned Giving Team at or giving@isevoyages.org to get started today.