Zaneeta (Spring 1994) visiting the Great Wall of China.
Twenty years after Zaneeta Daver first sailed with Semester at Sea as a Penn State student, she came onboard again as the assistant executive dean.
That second voyage in 2014, sailing as a staff member, reinforced to Zaneeta the importance of studying abroad and cemented why Semester at Sea is better than programs that focus on only one country.
“I knew how it had changed me, but it was another thing to experience the voyage as an adult and see its impact on students,” she says.
Zaneeta returned home with a plan. She would visit a new country each year and make it to every continent before she turned 50. With two continents left at the beginning of 2020, she was on track. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“The pandemic gave me time to think about things,” Zaneeta says. “I realized I wanted to be more purposeful about where my money will go after I’m gone.”
Without direct descendants, Zaneeta saw that she had a unique opportunity to support an organization that has been transformative in her life. She decided to make a future gift by including a gift to Semester at Sea in her will.
Zaneeta at the Spring 2014 Alumni Ball with the MV Explorer's captain, hotel manager and purser.
The program has persevered amazingly well during the pandemic, Zaneeta says. Seeing it at risk prompted her to ensure she give back should something unexpected happen again. It’s also why she opted to provide unrestricted funds, which can be used wherever they are most needed. Supporting the program in this way is a part of her legacy to sustain a program that helped shape her into the person she is today.
“Hopefully I will live for a very long time, but I do think it’s important for people my age to think through what’s important to them,” she says. “This is something you can do now to impact the future.”
Support Transformative Experiences for Future Voyagers
Planned gifts lay the foundation for the future success of Semester at Sea and help make our life-changing voyages possible. To learn about your giving options, contact Planned Giving Team at or giving@isevoyages.org.