¡Hola! I’m Rachael, a Pitt Honors student participating in the June session of the Pitt in Spain Program. I’m a rising sophomore at Pitt, and I’m majoring in Environmental Science, with minors in English Literature and Spanish. Throughout my study abroad experience, I will get to take classes at a university near Madrid. The classes that I take at the Universidad de Alcalà will transfer to Pitt and count towards my Spanish minor, so not only do I get to have an incredible experience in Spain, but I also get to make progress towards my degree!

I chose this program because of the Spanish minor I’m pursuing and because I believe it’s a great investment in my future. I hope to travel throughout my life and career, so the knowledge I gain on this trip will be invaluable for other travels in the future. I also hope to achieve a level of fluency in Spanish where I’m able to use it in a workplace scenario in the future. I think this program is an amazing way to get started working towards these goals, so I’m incredibly grateful to be able to participate in this experience.

The aspect of this program that I’m most excited about is the cultural immersion. I believe that completely immersing myself in the Spanish culture will be an amazing way to improve my language skills and broaden my perspective. My classes will be taught in Spanish, so I will be learning about exciting topics while simultaneously increasing my fluency level in Spanish. I’m particularly looking forward to the class called Hispanic Civilizations, as it combines my interest in culture, language, and history.

I’m also thrilled that I’ll be able to live with a host family for a part of my time in Spain. I think this will be an amazing way to learn the ins and outs of the Spanish culture and language. Doing a homestay undoubtably enriches the already amazing experience of studying abroad, and I am looking forward to learning all about Spain from my host family.

For me, studying abroad is an integral part of having a well-rounded education. I’ve always hoped to have an experience like this in order to help me attain a global mindset and more nuanced perspective. Like almost all participants of study abroad programs say, it’s an experience that will truly change your life. Being exposed to different lifestyles and customs sparks creativity and gives rise to brand new ideas. I cannot wait to learn about culture, visit historic landmarks, improve my Spanish, and meet amazing people during this study abroad program!