Class Year: 2025 
Major/Minor: Business, Organization, & Management major/ Spanish minor
Program: IES Madrid, Spain
Identities I can speak to students about:
Women abroad; STEM major
Program specific experiences I can speak about:
Homestay; Took courses primarily in a language other than English; Solo travel
Favorite experience:
My favorite experience was exploring the city and getting to put myself out there. I took a chance and walked into a restaurant with just me and one friend, and it turned into one of our best nights abroad. Some locals started to chat with us and let us practice our Spanish while they practiced their English. It was a great cultural and language exchange accompanied by some free food and people that we often came back to visit for the rest of the semester.
What course/internship experience during your global study semester allowed you to learn something new and exciting?
I was able to take an art history class in which we took field trips more or less every other class to the Greco Art Museum in Madrid. As a STEM major, I have never taken an art class quite like that before. I learned a lot of new things through this class, and every less was made all the more engaging by being able to see the actual art we were discussing. I learned about the history of the monarchy in Spain as well as the cultural and historical context around iconic pieces of art.
How have your global studies related to one of the 7 Enduring Skills?
My global study experience helped me in all 7 areas, but the most prevalent for me was adaptability. I was able to take charge of my abroad experience and cater it to exactly what I wanted it to be. This is especially true with travelling. I was able to visit 14 other countries besides Spain, and most of those trips were done entirely alone. Of course, there were bumps in the road- delayed flights, missed trains, weather, etc- but I was able to pivot my plans and still make the most out of my travels. And, on top of it all, I stayed on top of my classes. I was also adaptable when it came to culture and learning. As much as I wanted to go out and speak English because that was what I was most comfortable doing, I pivoted and forced myself to continue practicing Spanish. My host mom did not speak any English either, so I was able to adapt and improve with communicating with both her and everyone else in Madrid.