Ryan, a high school senior from Huntington Beach, California, was living out his dream of spending a semester at sea. He explored breathtaking destinations, studied marine biology, and learned about new cultures—all from aboard a ship that sailed to places most people could only imagine. But amidst the excitement, he missed his friends back home, especially their lunchtime chats.

Once a week, Ryan used Faceport’s telepresence technology to join his friends at their usual lunch table. His close friend Sam would wear the Faceport Helmet, allowing Ryan to virtually sit among them and catch up on all the latest happenings at school.

“Where are you now?” his friends asked excitedly as Ryan’s face appeared through the helmet. From the Mediterranean to the South Pacific, Ryan shared stories of his adventures, while they filled him in on the latest school gossip, inside jokes, and upcoming events.

Though he was sailing across the globe, the weekly lunch sessions helped Ryan feel grounded and connected to the people who mattered most. “I’m seeing the world, but it’s nice to have this time every week where I feel like I’m still part of the group, and can walk around cafeteria and chat with everyone” Ryan said.

His friends loved having him there, even virtually. “It’s like he never left,” Sam joked one afternoon as they all laughed over a shared memory. “We still get to hear all his wild stories—just now they’re about ship life instead of school.”

Faceport is designed to be a valuable tool for students like Ryan, offering a way to stay connected to friends and important social moments, even while embarking on new and distant adventures.