JEFFERSON TWP - It may not have been the first year that third graders in Jackie Pfeiffer's class participated in the pen pal portion of the Semester at Sea program, but it certainly was the most exciting time.

Third graders from the South Butler Primary Center participated in the program with students who were enrolled in the fall Semester at Sea. The program takes college students from around the country and allows them to spend a semester at sea, docking in different countries and learning firsthand about different countries and their cultures.

Those students ended up with quite a journey this year, thanks to some rough seas they encountered in January off the coast of Anchorage, Alaska. A 50-foot Pacific wave hit the boat, causing some rough conditions for the students aboard.

Pfeiffer's students got to hear about the harrowing experience in many of the letters they exchanged with the students, as well as other adventures they had during their trip.

Two of the pen pals for the class visited last week to talk to the third graders about their experiences.

Megan Young, a student at the University of Pittsburgh, and Josh Petit, a student from Xavier University in Ohio, spoke to the students about their experiences. They also brought along some unique items to share, including a drum and a scrapbook.

"Megan had a handmade drum from Africa and she made a scrapbook with money from different places," third grader Jessica Schaffer said.

"I loved Megan's drum and the scrapbook," said Carrie Peters. "What I liked about the scrapbook is it showed different types of money and other people that they were with."

Young let the students hit the drum to see how it sounded, which many of them found interesting.

Other students liked the fact they got to learn so much about the world without ever having to leave their hometown.

"I got to learn about Japan, China, India, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Brazil, Thailand and South Africa," John Cadamore said.

Pfeiffer said she was impressed with Young and Petit for their dedication to her students during the program.

"All our letters reached them except for the ones we sent to Florida when they docked there," Pfeiffer said. "They never got those ones, but got the other 12 to 15 letters we sent them, one for each port stop they made."

Pfeiffer said many of her students were interested in the program because it involved sea travel.

"(The kids) asked a lot of questions about the lifeboats," she said. "We do a whole lesson on the Titanic, so that's what made them ask about the lifeboats."

Many of the students said they were encouraged by the program and would like to do something similar someday.

"If I had a chance to go somewhere else, I would go to Semester at Sea," said Sierra Barnhart.