Dean Alumni Travel Program

Dean Alumni Travel Program Launches with Unforgettable Iceland Journey

This spring, Dean College alumni joined students for a remarkable week in Iceland, marking the inaugural alumni experience in Dean’s new Alumni Travel Program.

Dean College colleagues Dr. Rob Lawson, Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program, and Joanne Coluccio, Director of Alumni Engagement, partnered to welcome alumni into the program and create an experience designed to be as memorable for the connections it fostered as for the places it visited.

From May 11–17, three Dean alumni, Arte Lundgren ’71, Sarah Tower ’16, and Cathy Wong ’25, traveled alongside Dean’s Honors Program students for an immersive journey through Iceland’s dramatic landscapes, vibrant capital city, and rich cultural traditions. What began as a group of travelers preparing for an international adventure quickly became a shared experience shaped by discovery, conversation, laughter, and many new friendships.

A Shared Journey Through Iceland

The journey was also shared with Southern New Hampshire University, whose faculty sponsor was Dean alumna Dr. Amanda Presswood ’14. Several Dean students who enrolled in the trip while seniors also traveled as newly minted alumni, further broadening the alumni experience and adding to the range of perspectives within the group.

Along the way, travelers experienced both Reykjavík and the remarkable landscapes beyond it, exploring sites such as Hallgrímskirkja and the National Museum of Iceland, visiting a greenhouse powered by geothermal energy, and encountering waterfalls, moss-covered cliffs, black-sand beaches, basalt formations, and sweeping coastal views. A guided glacier walk and a visit to the Blue Lagoon rounded out a week that offered a vivid introduction to Iceland’s history, culture, and natural environment.

More Than Sightseeing

For Arte Lundgren ’71, the trip’s impact went well beyond the sights themselves. He shared that concerns he had before leaving “immediately disappeared while waiting to board at Logan,” describing the program as “such a well-organized experience that encompassed so much more than just sightseeing.”

As the week unfolded, travelers found connection not only during the major excursions, but also in the quieter moments in between: morning breakfasts, evening meals, chance encounters around town, conversations on the bus, and the easy familiarity that comes from sharing a full week together. Arte noted that some of his favorite memories included “the mornings and evenings enjoying our meals and just having simple ‘get to know you’ conversations,” as well as “the banter in the back of the bus.”

Building Community Beyond Campus

Those moments are at the heart of Dean’s Alumni Travel Program. By welcoming alumni into a student travel experience, the program creates opportunities for alumni and students to learn alongside one another, share perspectives, and build relationships that might not otherwise happen on campus. Traveling with the SNHU group added another dimension, bringing together people from different backgrounds around a shared curiosity, openness to adventure, and appreciation for the experience.

Thoughtful planning, experienced guides, and a carefully designed itinerary gave travelers the confidence to fully engage with the journey while leaving room for the conversations and spontaneous moments that made the week personal and memorable.

As Dean looks ahead to future travel opportunities, the inaugural alumni experience in Iceland has set a meaningful standard. It demonstrated that travel can be more than a chance to see extraordinary places. It can create new friendships, strengthen connections to Dean College, and offer alumni a meaningful new way to remain part of the Dean community.

Thank you to everyone who made this first shared journey such a special one.

If you would like to receive information about future trips or would like to suggest a destination, please email Joanne Coluccio, Director of Alumni Engagement, at jcoluccio@dean.edu.