Hi! My name is Shreya Sehgal and I am a rising junior at Pitt. I am majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Spanish and Chemistry on the pre-med track. I am also pursuing a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine! On campus, I am involved in Pitt’s First Class Bhangra dance team, and I am social chair of Pitt’s Student EMS club! In four days I will be leaving to study abroad at Universidad Nebrija in Madrid, Spain as a part of ISA’s Spanish Language, Hispanic Studies & Electives Program. 

I selected this program because it gives me the opportunity to study Spanish in a city I have been wanting to explore — Madrid! Additionally, this program offers me a dedicated time to fully immerse myself in Spanish language and culture outside of my regular busy semester. I will be able to deepen my understanding of Spanish history, art, literature, and architecture in Spain’s vibrant capital! From this program, I hope to improve my Spanish fluency. While I tend to be a bit anxious when speaking in Spanish to a native speaker, I believe I’ll be able to overcome this hurdle as I will need to communicate with the locals! This will greatly help me in my professional career since Spanish is the second most dominant spoken language in the USA, and thus is invaluable in communicating with patients. One of my personal goals I hope to achieve from the program is to develop valuable life skills such as adaptability and problem solving. While traveling alone in a foreign country, I anticipate undergoing various challenges, which will require me to be flexible and resourceful. I am very excited to embark on this journey and share my experiences!