Study Abroad Quotes
Andrew Faris
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
ARH 3957 Intermediate Spanish Art History
Double major in Law and American Society and International Studies. My Major is a Law and American Society and International Studies Double concentration with a minor in Economics. I traveled to Spain for several reasons. To start I had taken intermediate Spanish one and two with professor Cañete Quesada my freshman year at the Honors College and this turned out to be one of my favorite courses. Dr. Carñete did a great job making learning Spanish into something exciting and engaging. This was a course that for me always held out the prospect of an entire new world to be discovered with the Spanish language. I wanted to continue studying Spanish in order to discover this different´t perspective. Dr. Cañete helped me to complete an internship in South America which I very much enjoyed and when I heard about this study abroad opportunity to travel to Spain and to study at the Universidad Compultense in Madrid I knew that this would be a once and a life time opportunity for me to gain an understanding of this new world that Dr. Cañete had introduced me to my freshman year. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
What I enjoyed most about studying in Madrid was the quality of teaching at the Universidad Compultense in Madrid. I took several courses at this university with Professor Leonor Montilla. Coming into the honors college my freshman year, I never would have thought that I could see a female professor at a foreign university as a perfect role model for myself, but one of the great things about this program was how it enabled me to understand culture from a different perspective. Professor Leonor was a person who knew everything about her nation´s culture, history and identity and showed remarkable talent in relaying that information in an interesting way to sometimes clueless foreigners such as myself. I came to greatly admire this professor and I very much enjoyed coming to class every day to hear her lectures about Spanish history and culture. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
I would tell other students to take the time to embrace Madrid and Spain as much as possible without allowing your own foreign perspective to dictate the way you interact with the community in Spain. Take advantage of your time in the program to walk around and see the city as much as possible. Make friends with the other students in the program, but don´t be afraid to get to know the people of Spain and to put your Spanish speaking skills to the test. People in Madrid, unlike Barcelona, are not sick of tourists, they are very friendly and helpful to people from all around the world and appreciate when foreigners speak to them in Spanish.
Patrick Foucauld
Florida International University
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 4957 Advanced Spanish History
Major in Environmental Engineering. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
Professor Leonor Montilla (from Universidad Complutense) and Professor Cañete (from FAU) were both excellent. I loved the empowering history lessons each professor gave. The trips to Toledo, Segovia, the Valley of the Fallen, and the various art museums, like Prado or Reina Sofia, are highly recommended. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
Go with an open mind! Experience new people and places. Sometimes things may not work out as planned, but that is okay. Try and adapt to your immediate surroundings and step out of your comfort zone for a month or two.
Daniela Herrera
Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton Campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 4930 Advanced Medical Spanish
I am a Neuroscience and Behavior Major with a minor in Psychology. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
The aspect of the program that I enjoyed the most were the trips to both Andalucia and Asturias. Spain is such a beautiful and diverse country that it was amazing to see how every region was so unique and had their own cultures. I know that the program was relatively short but I definitely would have liked gotten to see more of Spain. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
From this experience, I have gained new knowledge of the Spanish language. I took the medical Spanish class and I learned lots of new terminology that I will be able to use in the future. I also met new people, made great friendships, and got to learn and experience a completely new culture. What I would recommend other people that go on this trip is to make every second count. A month is a relatively short amount of time so it's important to do and see everything that you want to see in Madrid with time and not to leave it for the last weekend. Also, I think it's important to build a good relationship with your host family because they are people that you will be seeing everyday and people that you will possibly keep in touch with after you finish the program. Lastly, it's beneficial to be confident when it comes to practicing the Spanish language if you are just starting to learn it or have a basic knowledge of it. People in Spain are understanding and most of the time will help you.
Jonathan Higgins
Florida Atlantic University (Davie Campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 2240 Intermediate Spanish Conversation
My major is international business and I wanted to travel to Spain not only to improve my Spanish but also to experience another culture and become fully immersed in it. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
The cities and places I went to either apart of the schedule or on my free time were really interesting and fun because of the new and exciting discoveries I would stumble upon. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
I would definitely encourage any student to partake on this adventure because not only does it teach you a lot scholastically and culturally, but it also develops you as a holistic individual.
Kaley Jemison
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 2240 Intermediate Spanish Conversation
My major is literature. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
This study abroad program certainly helped me improve my Spanish. I particularly enjoyed Professor Santi's Conversational Spanish Course which aided me in learning Spanish grammar, vocabulary, and gain confidence in speaking the language. I also really enjoyed Professor Cañete course on the Spanish Civil War. This class enabled me to understand Spain's history and current politics derived from this tumultuous period. As a literature major, I also enjoyed getting a taste of the Spanish literary cannon. My favorite excursions were Segovia and Barcelona (which I visited with friends). I loved La Sagrada Familia and Gaudi's artwork. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
I really enjoyed my time in Spain!
Jaime Murray
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 4930 Advanced Medical Spanish
I am double majoring in Spanish and Interdisciplinary Studies of the social sciences. I am also working towards a minor in anthropology and certificate in women’s studies. I wanted to travel to Spain to help with my Spanish communication skills. My goal is to be fluent. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
I loved having the freedom to explore the city of Madrid! It was nice to come back to my host mom at the end of the day too. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
This experience benefited me in so many ways. For one thing, I got to speak Spanish a lot! I also made several friends in Madrid. I recommend that anyone who studies abroad on this trip take advantage of every cultural experience that is offered. Also, make sure you go out and explore what the city has to offer!
Melanie Oates
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 2240 Intermediate Spanish Conversation
I am an International Studies major. Although I was initially interested in the Madrid Study Abroad Program because it would fulfill my 5-week minimum study abroad requirement (which is required in order to graduate with a concentration in International Studies), it was the courses which were being offered, that truly pushed me to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. Taking a course on the Spanish Civil War in the actual location where the war occurred was a once in a lifetime opportunity that would have been absolutely absurd to pass up. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
My favorite aspects of the program were certainly the courses that were offered and the excursions/activities that went along with these courses. The course that was offered on the Spanish Civil War was one of the most interesting and educational courses that I have taken in my academic career. The course provided guest speakers who not only lived in Spain, but also contained an active and riveting knowledge on the Spanish Civil War. Additionally, the course provided exciting excursions to historical sites in Madrid that related to the Spanish Civil War. All in all, the lessons that I learned and the experiences that I gained in the courses in that I took in Spain were simply priceless. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
I benefited enormously from my experience in Spain in several ways. First of all, by living in Spain for 5 weeks my comprehension of the Spanish language completely skyrocketed. There are no Spanish lessons that can compare to the amount of Spanish that you will learn/understand through living in a Spanish-speaking country, even if only for a short amount of time. Furthermore, by studying in Spain, I was able to travel to other parts of Spain and even other countries in Europe due to Spain's close proximity to other European countries such as Portugal and France. I would highly recommend for any students who are interested in studying in Spain to also look into traveling to other parts of Spain and other countries surrounding Spain during their free weekends.
Christine Petit-Frere
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 1121 Beginning Spanish II
My major is Biochemistry What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoyed the weekend excursions to the different parts of Spain. The sightseeing destinations were absolutely breathtaking. Being able to learn about the history that took place in Spain in the Spanish Civil War class, made the sights more magnificent. For instance, when we visited Valle de los Caídos, I was overwhelmed by strong feelings that made the excursion much more meaningful. It is one thing to read about the history in books; traveling to the actual sites where the history took place forced me to really think about of the different people and picture what they experienced at that time and place. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
The best benefit I gained from this experience was the acquisition of the knowledge of cultural and historical aspects of Spain and being able to encounter the architectural structures and the people who can tell you first hand what the past was like in Spain and how it is affecting them presently. I would recommend that students take any opportunity to visit the different cities in Spain.
Tania Rodriguez
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 2240 Intermediate Spanish Conversation
My major is neuroscience. I decided to go to Spain because I already knew some Spanish and I wanted to go to a study abroad program that would help improve my Spanish language skills. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoyed every part of the trip. The professors were excellent and were invested in me as a student. I learned a tremendous amount of information through both the courses I took. The trip to Granada and Segovia were wonderful, and I learned a lot about the history of both the cities visited and Spain overall. Leonor was an excellent tour guide and brought the history alive. Over all these aspects of the trip helped enrich my overall experience in Madrid. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
Through this experience, I improved my Spanish language skills immensely and learned a significant amount about both Madrid and Spain's history. In addition, I made lasting friendships and memories that I will never forget. I would definitely recommend this trip to any other students that are interested. My advice to them would be to practice the foreign language they are learning whenever they get a chance while on their abroad because being immersed in another country is the best way to learn and perfect your language skills.
Camila Saldias-Manieu
Florida Atlantic University (Boca campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 4957 Advanced Spanish History
My major is neuroscience and my minor is psychology. I decided to travel to Spain because the Spanish culture has always mesmerized me, and I was curious about experiencing the culture first hand. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
There are many things about this program that I loved. Both classes (Spanish Civil War and Spanish Culture) were extremely interesting, I believe that I came away from these classes with a lot of knowledge. I also really enjoyed the excursions, especially Granada, Segovia, and El Valle de los Caídos. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
I would definitely recommend this program to other students wanting to improve their Spanish skills and immerse themselves in a different culture. Study abroad programs benefit students in a variety of ways. Most importantly, I believe that this experience has made me more open-minded, adaptable, and confident.
Sarah Stamos
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 2240 Intermediate Spanish Conversation
Double major in Biochemistry and Spanish. I chose to travel to Spain to learn Spanish and take classes to help with my major. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
I really enjoyed the places that we went because they were so beautiful, and I also liked the professors because Professor Cañete Quesada always teaches fantastic classes, giving a lot of information in an interesting way. My Spanish professor, Professor Santi, was also amazing in that he used new teaching methods. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
I really benefitted from this experience by living in a new culture for an extended period of time, which is very important because it is good to live outside of your comfort zone for a while. I also received a fantastic introduction to the Spanish language and now I can understand Spanish and even speak it much better than before. I would recommend to students to keep an open mind to new cultures, travel much while you are there, and immerse yourself in a new language as frequently as you can.
Kendyl Stewart
Wilkes Honors College, FAU (Jupiter campus)
Courses completed:
IDS 3932 Spanish Civil War in Retrospect
SPN 4930 Advanced Medical Spanish
My major is Biological Chemistry and my minor is Spanish Literature. What aspect of the program (professors, courses, universities, tours, cities/places, activities, etc.) did you enjoy the most and why?
My favorite parts of the program were the tours in places like Toledo, Segovia, and Granada. Our tour guides were very knowledgable and enthusiastic, and the opportunity to learn about and experience so much history was incredible. How did you benefit from this experience and what recommendation would you make to other students interested?
My recommendation would be to go! It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in a vibrant and exciting culture. I was able to gain not only knowledge and confidence about my Spanish speaking skills, but also a wider global perspective on health and healthcare that I will take with me as I move forward in my career. I would recommend this study abroad in a heartbeat.