The followings are some examples of comments by our travelers:
2020
Dr. Mejia, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to Tyler Junior College and to all of you for your support for the recent trip to Greece.
I have already thanked Dr. Khosrowshahi for his infinite pains and care that he took to make the trip both enjoyable and informative for all the travelers. Truly, all I had to do was show up on time. Everything else was seen to in advance
Most of all, it was a pleasure getting to know our fellow travelers. I think that the mix of
distinguished professors from the college, together with a mix of Tylerites from many walks of life, and a coterie of students worked very well. I know we all learned from each other and it was a real pleasure to get to know so many fine people.
Before the trip, Agamemnon was for me a name, a story, and an imagined face. I have now walked where he walked in his palace and looked out over lands that were his kingdom some
3300 years ago. I have now seen the island of Salamis, and the adjoining narrow washers where the outnumbered Athenian navy defeated the Persian fleet, saving a then newborn experiment called democracy for posterity. I could go on and on.
Dr. K, as we affectionately call him, was particularly adept when we had to abruptly change our
plans because of the closing of scheduled sites on our last days. He is an exemplary credit to the college. He was an infallibly cheerful and resourceful guide.
I can say without reservation this was one of the best trips of my life. Again, thank you for your support for this valuable learning opportunity that reflects so well upon the college.
Best, Willis Jarrel, Jr.
Juan,
Although the world changed rapidly while we were gone, we are thankful for the opportunity to have been part of the 2020 spring tour. The trip was educational and fun. Most of all, we were impressed with the students’ engagement in the experience. Their preparedness for the trip and questions as we toured showed they were learning. My conversations with them about their educational endeavors once again reminded me of why TJC is so critical to our community. Higher education opens doors and changes lives - forever.
Thank you for opening these trips to TJC Friends so we too can continue our commitment to life-long learning.
The Greece educational trip was wonderful. We learned so much more about the country and its people. The archeological digs and ancient ruins and the museums are amazing.
We were equally impressed by the caliber and maturity of the TJC students who were on the trip with us. Their passion for learning about the civilizations of Greece and commitment to their education once again reassured us that our country will be in good hands as they mature into their roles of engaged citizenry and leadership.
Thank you for all of the planning and effort you put into making this trip memorable and educational. It was both and gave us a new appreciation and understanding of Greece, the impact of ancient beliefs on the culture of the world at that point in time, and the connectivity to our lives today.
Thanks, again, for your hard work to make this a memorable trip. You were successful!
Best,
Barbara R. Bass, CPA
Dr. Juan Mejia:
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to travel to Greece again with Dr. Khosrowshahi’s Travel/Study project. Every trip offers a new experience; this time was no exception. This tour not only allowed us to view the sights and learn about the history of modern and ancient Greece, but we also got a glimpse of how a foreign country responds to a national emergency.
The world has changed very rapidly over the last few weeks, and we had a front-row seat! It was scary and stressful during it, but overall, we made history as the first Tyler Junior College students to travel during a pandemic. It was an adventure, and I am grateful for the opportunity
to have experienced it. What stories we will have for our grandchildren!
No one was more stressed than Dr. Khosrowshahi, but he did a wonderful job managing and coordinating everything so we were safe the whole time. He not only worked with the hotel staff, the tour leader, the bus driver, and the travel agent, but he also worked tirelessly with Turkish Airlines to make sure everyone got a flight home amidst this confusion. His devotion to the
students was clearly shown by his actions. I am genuinely thankful to have had Dr. Khosrowshahi’s leadership during this trip.
Sincerely,
Andria Ferrell
Dr. Mejia,
Good afternoon! I hope you are doing well in light of the recent changes we have had to face because of the coronavirus outbreak. I'd first like to thank you for your continued vigilance and leadership in the midst of such an unprecedented turn of events.
I am writing to you in regard to my recent travel study in Greece. I accompanied Dr. K, fellow students, and members of the Tyler community on what has now become the most life-changing experience I've ever had. I was fortunate enough to receive a partial scholarship, which made all the difference in my ability to attend.
We visited a number of gorgeous, historically and culturally rich locations including Athens and the Acropolis, Mycenae, Delphi, Nafplio, and many others. I personally favored the ruins of Mycenae and Delphi. As a history major, I was absolutely enthralled by every site we visited. Dr. K and our travel agents did an exceptional job planning our activities and adjusting them accordingly amid complications due to the recent pandemic.
Although we faced some setbacks because of the novel coronavirus and the Greek government's decision to implement precautions, my experience during this travel study made every minor difficulty worth the trouble. If I am ever presented the opportunity to travel to Greece again, particularly with TJC's group, I would take it in a heartbeat.
I hope this provided some insight into my experience in Greece. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Many thanks.
Best regards,
Madison Heiser
3 /23/2020
Doug & Barbara Carter
Dr. Mejia,
Tyler Junior College
Greece Trip
Kalimeris,
My Name Is Barbara Carter and My husband Doug and I joined Dr Khosrowshadi on his 2020 Greece Trip this year.
I wanted to write to tell you what an incredible trip this was. I have had the privilege of working with Him in the community for the past 19 years. I have always found him to be professional helpful & kind, always leading his students and representing T J C with honor & pride.
That carried through on the 10 days that we spent together on this trip. The educational component of this was impactful to say the least. There wasn’t a day that we were not learning
about the history of this beautiful country and its people. I wish I paid more attention to Greek Mythology in High School.
The Sites and Museums that we went to were wonderful and filled with rich artifacts. Without repeating myself. I can’t say enough how incredible every aspect of the trip was. We experienced life in those 10 days and Dr. K navigated it all with wisdom & great leadership. My husband and I will always remember to live “Right here right now “.
Thanks to TJC for providing this tremendous opportunity and the Carter’s will be traveling again on these wonderful trips with TJC.
Sincerely,
Doug & Barbara Carter
April 1, 2020
Dr. Juan E. Mejia
Office of the President
Dear President Mejia:
As a participant in the recent tour to Greece, I want to express my appreciation to Tyler Junior College for offering such an enriching opportunity to members of the community. My wife, Molly McCoy, and I had not traveled to international destinations in many years. Dr. Khosrowshahi’s well-organized tour will, I am certain, stimulate us to experience other parts of the world as we navigate our retirement years.
I expect you are aware that Dr. K arranged an activity-packed itinerary highlighting some of the world’s architectural wonders. Nonetheless, one of the joys of the trip was interacting with the students and sharing the learning experience. As the tour week progressed, Dr. K made extraordinary efforts to manage the changing circumstances for the benefit of the group and the learning objectives of the program.
Having completed my graduate work through the good fortune of a Fulbright year abroad, I have always attached great value to international experience. I am hopeful that TJC will be able to continue supporting study abroad excursions for its students.
Yours truly,
William Smialek
4/1/2020
Dear Dr. Mejia: I want to let you know how much I enjoyed the recent Tyler Junior College trip to Greece. I have many friends who previously traveled on this trip and spoke highly of their experience. This trip lived up to my expectations in every way.
Dr. K did an excellent job communicating with all the travelers. Ms. Maria Kalogeri, our guide arranged by him, was exceptional. The local travel agent did a superb job of arranging the logistics and all our accommodations.
Traveling with a group of college students and adults was delightful. I particularly enjoyed the trip being a travel/study trip. I came back with so much knowledge of Greece, its history, archaeology, culture, and people.
What stood out most about the trip was the excellent job Dr. K did as our leader. This was indeed a challenging year because of the virus. Dr. K never panicked and provided calm direction and made great decisions for the safety of all the travelers.
Thank you for helping make this trip possible through Tyler Junior College I look forward to traveling again on another Tyler Junior College trip in the future.
All the best, Ann Jarrel.
April 13, 2020
Dr. Juan Mejia, President
Tyler Junior College
P. O. Box 9020
Tyler, Tx 75711-9020
Dear Dr. Mejia:
Last month, my wife and I completed a wonderful trip to Greece in the company of Dr. Manouchehr Khosrowshai and a marvelous group of travelers from TJC and the community. We tremendously enjoyed the company as we visited many ancient historical sites. Our guide, Maria, used her knowledge of Greek and Roman history to expand our understanding of the importance of ancient Greece’s contributions to modern societies. She brought the artifacts to life with her explanations. Wanda and I got to know and made lasting friendships with many of the travelers including Dr. and Mrs. Metke, and former Mayor Barbara Bass.
Dr. Khosrowshai was much more than a host and companion on the trip. He tirelessly, and sometimes tiredly, kept us all going and on schedule. Though the trip was slightly overshadowed by the developing COVID-19 pandemic, “Dr. K” kept us informed and safe throughout our itinerary. He worked long into the night to keep things flowing smoothly and was always ready with a smile and pop quiz in the morning. I highly recommend that TJC continue this learning adventure and all the school-sponsored opportunities for travel as circumstances permit.
It was my pleasure to travel with Dr. Khosrowshahi to Greece this year. Dr. “K” did an excellent job of organizing, planning and supervising the travel for both the TJC students and guests of the College. My wife and I are seasoned travelers, so we did have some background in which to evaluate the overall trip. We really enjoyed the trip, and we were impressed with Dr. “K” and his interactions with all the travelers. I observed how he made it a high priority to keep his students engaged all during the trip. I asked several of his students about their experience, and all of them provided very positive feedback.
Respectfully,
Max Nash
Professor of Sociology and Psychology
2019
Dr. “K” made every effort to keep the schedule as full as possible so that we could maximize our benefits from the trip. As a result, I feel that we were well educated regarding Greek geography, mythology, and culture. Dr. “K’s” itinerary provided us with a great overview of the different regions of the country. In summary, the trip was a wonderful experience for me and great exposure for the College. Everywhere we went, the local people knew that we were from Tyler Junior College and Texas...
Sincerely,
James Cooksey
Houston, Texas 2019
Donna and I spent spring break in Greece with wonderful students, alums and friends! We visited seven UNESCO World Heritage sites and more thanks to Dr. K.'s great planning.
So proud of our folks! What a great way to learn world history and western civilization!
Start planning now to go next year!
Mike Metke, Chancellor of the College of East Texas, 2018
As a former college professor and administrator, I fully understand and appreciate the tremendous work required to plan and execute this kind of activity. Not only was the tour well planned but also extremely well executed. Dr. K was a master in dealing with the myriad difficulties that arose each day and were always a gracious and competent leader. Never once did I see him lose his composure no matter the problem presented. In addition, he is sure the most accommodating college professor that I have met in my professional life. The students at the college are fortunate in having one so considerate.
Martha and I believe that international travel is a great experience at any age and tremendously valuable in the education of the next generation. We live in a time of a shrinking world brought about by readily available travel, and the exposure to different cultures is becoming more commonplace.
Congratulation on a great program and having someone like Dr. K to lead it.
Sincerely,
W. D. Richardson, Ed. D.
As a former college professor and administrator, I fully understand and appreciate the tremendous work required to plan and execute this kind of activity. Not only was the tour well planned but also extremely well executed. Dr. K was a master in dealing with the myriad difficulties that arose each day and were always a gracious and competent leader. Never once did I see him lose his composure no matter the problem presented. In addition, he is sure the most accommodating college professor that I have met in my professional life. The students at the college are fortunate in having one so considerate.
Martha and I believe that international travel is a great experience at any age and tremendously valuable in the education of the next generation. We live in a time of a shrinking world brought about by readily available travel, and the exposure to different cultures is becoming more commonplace.
Congratulation on a great program and having someone like Dr. K to lead it.
Sincerely,
Martha Richardson, M.S, CPA March 26, 2018
Dr. Khosrowshahi and his travel staff are to be greatly complimented for having planned and achieved a superb educational adventure. Prior to the trip, he teaches preparatory seminars that are integral in providing a deeper understanding of the many facets of Greek history. With a trip such as this, a teacher's challenge is to carefully organize thousands of years of Classical history to be revealed during the actual explorations of the sites. Everyone on this trip soon became aware that they were living a once-in-a-lifetime experience; the blending of the real and the actual within the Ancient World.
Dr. Douglas Witte 2017
Dr. Khosrowshahi is well-organized, kind, energetic, giving, knowledgeable, and obviously respected and well-liked by colleagues and students. During the trip, we marveled at the calming effect that Dr. Khosrowshahi had in keeping the group informed, well-educated, relaxed, and cohesive as a group in all our diverse experiences and locations!
Both my husband and I have traveled extensively outside of the USA, a few of those trips have been with groups, and many of our travels have been on our own. We are both rather independent people and enjoy our own rhythm and freedom. However, we wholeheartedly acknowledge that we could not have been as successful on our own to create such an organized, comprehensive, diverse, and inclusive trip such as the one that Dr. Khosrowshahi offered to us. Additionally, Dr. Khosrowshahi was sensitive and accommodating when we sought our own experiences - independent of the group. Because of his great communication before, during and after the trip, we developed a great deal of admiration, respect, and gratitude for Dr. Khosrowshahi.
We also want to offer our gratitude to the College, and all the administrators that made it possible for Dr. Khosrowshahi to organize and guide this extraordinary trip to Greece! It was a beautiful journey, and without your support, this trip would not have been a reality!
Professor Stephanie Sabato (JCCC, Kansas) and
Mr. Joseph E. Gorski, U.S. Treasury Department 2017
For additional testimonials, please click on this link.