Olivia Smittle: Dos Españas, Growth Through Immersion in Spain
Summer 2024
I never thought that I would be capable of spending two weeks in a foreign country, five thousand miles away from home, with a group of people I didn’t know, in a country that spoke a language I wasn’t confident in, on a trip that cost more than three times what I had in my bank account. When I first heard about the Summer 2024 “Two Spains: History and Culture in León and Sevilla” trip that the Spanish and History departments were taking, I started daydreaming and hypothesizing and rationalizing, just imagining what a trip like that would be like. But after the first interest meeting, I called my mom, practically shaking with excitement, saying “It’s the perfect trip. It’s a dream come true. Mom, I just have to go. I have to.”
It wasn’t until after I paid the first deposit that the full weight and anxiety of what I was about to do started hitting me. I was going to be away from my family for the longest time I ever had, I had no idea how I was going to pay, I was terrified my eight years of Spanish would somehow fail me, and I realized I didn’t know hardly anybody on the trip. I panicked, but I decided I was going to make myself go. My parents, friends, and faculty members were my number one supporters. After being denied funding by a few of the scholarships I applied for, I was beginning to get discouraged. Much to my relief after a few tearful meetings with Dra. Parrack, one of the faculty leaders of the trip, and one of my primary supporters and encouragers, panicked emails to Dean Smith, and lots of phone calls to my parents, I was awarded a TAG grant. I reached out to family and friends, and more support than I could have dreamed of came pouring in, until I was funded almost to the exact dollar amount I needed.
The closer we got to the trip date, the more anxious I got. The thought of leaving my family, friends, girlfriend, and job for two whole weeks to go across the ocean was petrifying. I kept hearing people tell me how capable I was, but I was so doubtful. Up until the day that we met at the airport to depart for Madrid, I was terrified. But the moment I stepped through those airport doors and saw the smiling faces of my peers and of Dr. Lucas and Dra. Parrack, all my worries were immediately gone. The moment we landed in Madrid, all my anxiety was gone, my brain switched to Spanish mode, and I was more excited than I’d ever been in my life.
My Spanish host mom was absolutely delightful and I quickly bonded with her and her six-year-old son who became one of my best friends almost immediately. I felt comfortable and confident in my Spanish speaking abilities and in my ability to navigate in the beautiful little city that was León. I began to bond with the other people on my trip and with Dr. Lucas and Dra. Parrack as well. I tried foods I never would have tried before, I trusted myself more fully than I did at home, and I managed to survive without cell service most of the time (however, I would not recommend this…) I also took a History of Witchcraft course with Dr. Lucas, which was completely outside of my usual area of study, but ended up being one of my favorite parts of the trip!
I felt safe with my professors, I enjoyed free time with my friends, I felt comfortable exploring on my own, and I felt immersed in culture, beauty, language, and community the whole time I was in Spain.
Every single excursion we went on was worth it and I couldn’t imagine the trip without it the ancient overlooks of Toledo, the beautiful bridges of Sevilla, the giant flower puppy at the Guggenheim, the colorful sunrises over León, the breathtaking Basque countryside, the eerie beauty of the Zugarramurdi Witch Caves, or the jaw-dropping reality of seeing Picasso’s “Guernica” or Goya’s “Witches Sabbath” in person. My heart still craves the smell of León in the morning, the taste of my host mother’s jamón y huevos, the crispness of the air walking through Bilbao at night, and the beautiful hum of laughter, Spanish, and music on the streets of Madrid.
I’m grateful to Dra. Parrack and Dr. Lucas for the support, guidance, and planning that they provided. I’m grateful to my family and friends for encouraging me to go and for supporting me with their words and their finances. I’m grateful to every student on that trip who made it so much easier to be away from home. The skills, experiences, and memories that I gained on this study abroad trip will not be easily forgotten.
Kyle Urban: Experiencing Dos Españas
Summer 2024
Thanks to UCA Study Abroad, I spent the summer in Seville, Spain. How this opportunity came about was through a conversation with Dr. Phillip Bailey of the UCA Global Studies department. Initially, I was planning to just do the Dos Españas [Two Spains] faculty-led program. However, Dr Bailey told me that I should consider doing an internship with the Spanish Institute of Global Education (SIGE), which would begin right when the Two Spains trip ended. Overall, I found coordinators from SIGE to be amicable and understanding. They were willing to work with me to set up an experience abroad that would work well with the logistics of UCA. I also have to give my thanks to the UCA Honors College and the Adcock’s for helping fund my education abroad in the form of grants.
Overall, I had a great time. I got to learn about the history and culture of northern Spain while traveling around Leon, Bilbao, Madrid and Toledo and southern Spain while in Sevilla, Granada, and Cordoba. I have also gotten to take a deep dive into the history of witchcraft in Zugarramurdi during my time in the Basque country. Going around Spain with my
favorite Spanish professor and my UCA friends has been one of my most memorable experiences. The internship portion of my study abroad has also provided me a better insight into Andalusian and Sevillan culture as a whole. As I have been staying with my host family (they are awesome), I have gotten to experience Puchero, Gazpacho, and Tinto de Verano. Furthermore, I have picked up on some interesting vocabulary unique to this dialect, such as “Tengo jama” instead of “Tengo hambre” or “nos vemos.” The Andalusian dialect is a very unique and it is something to be cherished by any linguistics student interested in the Spanish speaking world. Furthermore, there is history abound! Locations such as the Giralda, Casa de Pilatos, and Alcazar are excellent places to get a taste of the past.
The internship has also really helped me grow as a linguistics student. I was working in a language school called Geranios in Dos Hermanas, a small town right outside of Seville. I and another American organize and plan the classes, lessons, and materials for an English language summer camp that the school is running for kids between the ages of ~6 to 12 — note that we have one student that is 3 years old, it has thrown us for a bit of a loop since were not told that we would have them in our class beforehand, and neither the co-worker nor I have worked with a kid this young before, but our boss is helping us figure it out. Furthermore, we also help out with a class for adult learners twice a week. Planning for this class is a bit more difficult as some of the learning materials we use are geared for a younger age group, so we have found ourselves creating materials from scratch for this class. I really like the adult learners class, they are a varied and interesting bunch of people. One student, who I will refer to as Pablo, is applying to do a graduate program in the US for engineering, last week we went to get tapas together and I helped him fill out his lease for his apartment. Overall, the internship has consisted of 3 weeks of shadowing over another teacher in the school, followed by 2 weeks of co-teaching with another teacher of the school, and then finally 3 weeks where us interns are teaching entirely on our own. So far, I am done with the 1st week of co-teaching and am looking forward to what the following month has to offer. I am really excited for next week, as the theme we are using for that week is planets!
As a closing note, I recommend that if you are a UCA student, you need to do a study abroad! Really try to maximize your time in the culture and practice the language as much as you can. Just remember to mind your manners and take personal responsibility for keeping up with the itinerary (and your passport) and you should be fine. I know many reading this might be fearful or hesitant to go abroad (and that is perfectly reasonable if it is something you have never done before!) but really, it is not as scary as you think it is. Going abroad is much like riding a rollercoaster or driving or cliff jumping. The first time you do it, it seems very frightening, but once you do it, you get into the motion and loose all hesitance. Trust me, going abroad is one of the best things you can do! Spain has my seal of approval and I recommend you visit if you desire to travel abroad!
Natalie Schultz: Discovering the Keys to Health and Wellness in Costa Rica
Summer 2024
This experience truly opened my eyes to how lifestyle and values can impact someone’s long term health and happiness. This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica for 11 days. This trip had an interprofessional focus to it, which allowed for us Nursing students to work closely with graduate OT students. I went into this trip having very little understanding as to what the role of the OT was and how that profession intertwines with my future nursing profession, but after developing activities together that closely worked with the health and wellness needs of the populations we worked with, I grew a greater understanding and appreciation for the OT field. I do not believe that I would be able to get this deep of an understanding about how these two professions work together had I not gone on this trip.
Going into this trip, I expected that I was going to learn a lot about the culture in Costa Rica, but I did not expect to take away as much as I did. We had the opportunity to visit many different senior centers and senior living facilities. The healthcare system in Costa Rica is vastly different than in the US, and although we did not work in any hospitals or clinics, these senior facilities provided great insight onto the differences in healthcare systems. The US works more closely with private insurances and practices, which is why it is so difficult for many to afford healthcare, but in Costa Rica, it is more government funded. We went to a developmental day care center that was funded by the government, providing those with disabilities a place to receive proper hygiene, food, and activities that support their needs for five days a week, approximately eight hours a day. We had the chance to see how different healthcare professions worked together to support the health and safety of the participants of this facility. After this we interacted with residents at a senior living facility that was also government funded, rather than the privately funded that I am used to here in the US. In this facility, patients lived in an almost dorm style living, where they had one to two roommates in each room. They used their rooms to nap, and then spent the rest of their day interacting with other residents. Everyone in the facility seemed both happy and healthy. We had the opportunity to practice nursing skills like taking vital signs and blood glucose readings. We were able to meet with the nurse and discuss her typical routine that she performed. A common theme that we understood from many of these facilities was that the nurses typically only work till 7pm, with CNA’s working throughout the night, which I found very interesting compared to what we are used to. We then got the chance to work with seniors at senior day centers, where we collaborated with the OT students on activities that could be beneficial for improving their fine and gross motor movements. Although there were times where I felt a little worried due to the language barrier, I was able to overcome this and use my resources to interact with the residents. This experience definitely helped to prepare me for when I may come across language, or other, barriers in my actual nursing practice.
Once we had experience with the residents of the living facilities and members of the day centers, we had the opportunity to visit some centenarians of the blue zone. There are five blue zones around the world, where residents in the said area often live past the age of 100. We had the opportunity to meet some of them and ask questions about their lifestyle and their “secrets to well being.” One common theme we learned, is that surrounding yourself with a tight knit community who cares for you, is the secret to a long and healthy life. Having a tight knit community alongside of eating healthy and natural foods, having an every day purpose whether that is working or maintaining a garden, and staying active seemed to be the “secrets” we learned. One other big takeaway from the centenarians that I had was that money buys you nothing when it comes to longevity. None of them lived in a mansion, they had four walls and a roof, a family that helped care for them, and a smile on their faces.
I am more than grateful for the opportunity that I had to study abroad in Costa Rica. Not only did it truly grow my skills as a future nurse, but it made me a more well rounded person. I had experiences here that no clinical could teach me. I got to interact with healthy people and get their firsthand experience of how they were able to maintain their health and happiness through all of these years. If I could do it all again, I would without hesitation go back.