Dolores High School alumni Kaitlyn Howerton knew that she would be a long way from home last month when she hopped on a plane to Finland.

What she did not know was how life-changing the experience would be. Pursuing degrees in elementary and deaf education, Howerton's overseas adventure earned her six college credits and a trip to remember.

Howerton attends Utah State University in Logan. The school partners with ISEP, the International Student Exchange Program, to send students to international schools to enrich their learning. On such school is the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, where tuition and education are free for students.

"It was a neat experience getting to go someplace that was different," said Howerton, who was there a month. "Experiencing things completely on my own was an amazing experience, a life-changing experience."

Her favorite class was Finnish culture and language, which she took during her first week.

"What we'd do in this class is, we'd go on field trips, so we would learn Finnish part of the day, and then go to the coffee shop and talk to people or go to the grocery store with a list," she said.

The students were required to read food labels. She also took weeklong classes about education in Finland, cultural anthropology, and intercultural communication.

After class, exchange students stayed in a castle and toured Helsinki, the capital. They visited museums and a sauna and sampled local foods.

"They sauna as much as they shower," said Howerton, adding, "Finnish chocolate is amazing."

She said she enjoyed interacting with Finns and exchange students and learning about their cultures. It helped that most Finns speak English.

"I have a friend now in every continent but Antarctica," she said with a chuckle.