Study Abroad Spain - Falling Back in Love

Having taken Spanish as a language off and on throughout my grade school years and then choosing it as one of my majors in college I’ve come a crossed a variety of teachers from many backgrounds and countries of origin. Each of these instructors gave me a new perspective and angle into learning Spanish and understating the culture of the many countries. But the crowning experience so far in my journey towards graduation has been the summer study abroad opportunity in Spain. This has been a completely immersive program with every intention of improving a student’s Spanish no matter the level. On this trip I’ve been lucky enough to hear the roar of the crowd in the Plaza del Toros in Seville as the matador gracefully dances around the 2,700 lbs bull. I’ve walked the ancient halls of Alhambra where sultans and Spanish kings alike fought for control of this ancient and beautiful country. The ancient halls of La Mesquita in the ancient city of Cordoba left me speechless at the lengths man was willing to go in the pursuit of beauty. But the best experience by far of the whole program was the opportunity to meet all new people; to share their stories and come together as one. People from all walks of life willing to share their life story with you all in an attempt to help you truly understand them and their culture and their ancestors’ stories. This program has strengthen all resolve I have when classes become difficult and helped me to fall back in love with the language. 

- Nicholas McKenna, Junior, Modern Language major, Palmetto Battery Company 

Study Abroad Spain - Seville & Valencia

I studied abroad in the cities of Seville and Valencia in Spain. Each city was very beautiful and had its own unique characteristics. Seville was an older city and had many massive beautiful cathedrals. It had a river running right through the middle of it and at night you could sit on the bridge and look down the river and see the lights of the tall building reflecting off the water. It was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. During the day you could kayak down the river or if you are brave enough you could try jumping in like we did. Most of the streets are coble stone which is really cool to walk down and fun to watch bicycles struggle to ride down.  Valencia was a more modern city. The buildings were much bigger and the city it self was much bigger. The downtown are was older and had some beautiful architecture. If you love to exercise then Valencia is the place to go. Running through the middle of the city is a park that has bike paths, walking paths, and exercise equipment. It’s the perfect place to get a run in. And then probably the best part about Valencia is the beach. The sand is almost pure white and the view is amazing. You look down one side and you see massive sky scrapers and then the other way you will see a huge port with towers and cranes, a sight to see. The food in both cities is amazing. It can be alittle pricy at times but as you learn the city you will find the best places for the best amount of money. We found a little sandwich shop with sandwiches ranging from one euro to about three. Pretty good deal, but on Wednesdays and Sundays the entire menu was one euro…so I bet you can guess where we were on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Spain is defiantly a beautiful place that is like no other and I promise you that you will enjoy the trip and be amazed by what you see.

- James Blocker, Sophomore, Business major, Romeo Company

Group of cadets in Plaza de Espana

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