STATESBORO, Ga. () — A group of Georgia Southern honors students got back from a trip to Ireland, to study issues facing farmers.

Students told their 6-week stint on the green island was much more than a vacation.

“You get to know people and you realize that it’s not. Not everything is exactly what you think it was,” said student Maddox Powers. “I think that’s something that’s very important for everyone to experience.”

Steve Engel, dean of the Honors College at GSU said, “It exposes students to a new culture.  It gets them out of their comfort zone, and they grow even more in that kind of context.”

Engel said their Honors Global Scholars Program gets over 300 applicants every year, but only 20 freshmen are chosen. They studied issues related to the mental health of farmers in Ireland.

“There’s family farms over there, but they also face similar challenges,” said Amy Potter, the director of the Honors Global Scholars Program.

They said regulations, extreme weather, soil quality and work-life balance contribute to high levels of depression in Irish farmers and those here at home.

“Nobody looks for farming as a career choice,” said Powers. “It’s a sacrifice.”

Students made friends with some Wexford locals during their time, and they presented their studies to politicians and the Irish Farmers Association.

“These are just these high impact practices that we’re really proud of that this this program showcases,” said Potter.

Engel said, “These are students of all different majors who really want to explore global topics and understand the global connection between their major field and their future.”

Students said their visit encouraged them to explore different ways they might be able to use their degree.

“It opens up different possibilities that you didn’t think about in your job field at first,” said Olivia Lott, a rising sophomore at GSU.

Powers said, “There’s so much more that you can do, and there’s so much more that you can dream about and want to do.”