As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxing, study abroad programs resumed this summer, again letting students experience other cultures firsthand.
Traveling to Spain were Jenny Schaffer, Bryson Rose and Andrew Howard. Traveling to Italy was Madeline Selman.
Here are their stories.
Jenny Schaffer鈥擲eville, Spain
Schaffer, a rising senior from Hampton, South Carolina, is majoring in English Literature and Spanish. She took advantage of a program offered through the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement and organized by Trinity Semester in Spanish. She was in Seville May 16 through June 13.
鈥淎s a Spanish major, I think that studying abroad is essential, honestly, and should probably be part of the curriculum. You can learn a lot in a classroom, but you鈥檙e not going to be able to speak the language and interact with the people unless you have the full immersion鈥擨 really wanted that鈥攁nd of course for the culture and just the chance to travel. I just really wanted a chance to work on my language skills in the country,鈥� Schaffer said.
Schaffer found that a great way to immerse herself in the culture of Seville was to try on traditional clothing of the area and take part in a master class, along with 91福利社 classmate Bryson Rose, to learn about and experience Sevillana, the local folk dance.
鈥淪evillana is a type of dance that鈥檚 closely related to Flamenco, but specific to that region of Spain. We spent two hours learning the first part of the dance. It was really complicated, so we couldn鈥檛 learn the whole thing. The next part, they had this room full of old flamenco dresses and dresses for sevillana. All of us got to go in, pick out a dress and try it on. There was one guy. They had stuff for him too鈥攋ust a black shirt and stuff to wear,鈥� Schaffer said.
Schaffer鈥檚 classes took place Monday through Thursday from 9:30 in the morning until 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon.
鈥淭he first class I took was about the literature and lessons of Sevilla. I think it鈥檚 the most fun I’ve had in a class in a long time. It was long鈥攖hey would go for half of the morning鈥攂ut (the professor) was literally acting out the stories and we鈥檇 all take turns reading sections then he would act out parts and get us to act them out. It was like kidding around and having fun with the story. We would travel parts of Sevilla and see specific sites that were featured in the stories. A lot of what we saw was not some touristy place; we saw some small corners of Sevilla,鈥� said Schaffer, adding that her class went on excursions into the area around Seville. 鈥淢y other class was Modern Spain. That class was all about culture and politics and the current events of Spain. I could definitely see how it helped me in my conversation at least, because my host family really liked talking about politics.鈥�
The family Schaffer stayed with was an older couple who were both retired university professors.
鈥淭he mom spoke the best English but she didn鈥檛 speak a lot. The dad could say 鈥榯hank you for your company,鈥� 鈥榟ave a good night鈥� and stuff like that. They basically learn the equivalent of what we learn in high school Spanish. We spoke Spanish all the time. It was very different for me,鈥� Schaffer said. 鈥淭hey had four grown sons with families. On any given night we would come home and the kitchen would be full of the families and the kids running around.鈥�
Another adjustment for Schafer was that people, including her host family, tended to be more outspoken in their conversations, had different views on social issues, and had different customs in their daily meals.
鈥淧ersonally for my beliefs, I鈥檓 more conservative. I even got into debates with my host father. He鈥檚 agnostic. They start an argument in front of guests. There are no hard feelings for whoever is in the discussion, but they go at it right in front of you and you know like in the South we鈥檙e very polite,鈥� Schaffer said. 鈥淭hey eat at different times. In the mornings our host families only gave us toast, jelly and jams, which is fine. Then we didn鈥檛 eat until 2:30 or maybe 3 o鈥檆lock. Then we didn鈥檛 eat supper until 10 or 11:30 at night.鈥�
Schaffer, who hopes to make a future visit to a Spanish speaking country, said, 鈥淭here are a lot of programs that would allow me to go to a Spanish speaking country and speak English as a second language. I would love to do that in Spain or any Spanish speaking country. I would love to go back to Spain, thinking of how beautiful it was. I only saw a small part. A month was not nearly enough. I would love to go back and work for a couple of years.鈥�
Schaffer feels that the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement, along with her Spanish professor, were invaluable in helping make her trip possible.
Bryson Rose鈥擲eville, Spain
Rose is a double major in Biology and Spanish, a minor in Chemistry and a rising senior from Concord, North Carolina. He traveled with Schaffer and stayed for two terms, also through Trinity Semester in Spanish.
鈥淚n high school I had been to Nicaragua and Colombia, and absolutely loved being in an environment where you鈥檙e challenged to learn the language of the people there, because if you don鈥檛, then you can鈥檛 communicate with them,鈥� Rose said.
Ever since he first arrived at 91福利社, Rose always wanted to study abroad and had an interest in Spain. As with other students, the COVID-19 pandemic put travel plans on hold, until this year.
鈥淚 would say the biggest part of studying abroad is the perspective of the differences in culture. One thing for example is that Spaniards tend to be more up front and brutally honest. The people in the program told us the first day, the host families you stay with, if they make you food and you don鈥檛 like it, tell them that you don鈥檛 like it. And me being from North Carolina, it鈥檚 hard to do,鈥� Rose said.
Rose, who is studying to become a physician, took a Spanish class focusing on healthcare terminology.
鈥淭he biggest reason for me is to immerse myself in an environment where I鈥檓 speaking Spanish so much that I鈥檓 forced to improve, so whenever I get back and I go to medical school, as I practice as a physician I can use my Spanish to communicate with my patients, which is why this healthcare class they offered went so hand-in-hand with what I wanted to do,鈥� Rose said. 鈥淲e mostly got into how to interact with patients respectfully and how to go about learning new words and breaking them down. There is actually an interesting similarity in the most advanced medical terms between English and Spanish because they both got them from Latin, so they resemble each other.鈥�
Aside from learning Spanish medical terms, Rose has other observations about how people in Spain speak.
鈥淭he accents in Spanish are different from anything I鈥檝e heard, because we learn typically Mexican, Puerto Rican, maybe Cuban accents in the states,鈥� Rose said.
Since booking travel from within Europe is more economical than in the U.S., Rose has taken advantage of opportunities to see more of the continent.
鈥淭here has not been a single weekend that I have just stayed in the city. I鈥檝e gone down to the Canary Islands, then over to Portugal and Paris for different weekends,鈥� Rose said.
Rose is appreciative of the assistance of Spanish Professor Dr. Krissie Butler and Ann Themistocleous in the Center for Global Engagement.
鈥淚t felt like they had a level of excitement where I thought they were coming on the trip with me. They鈥檙e definitely dedicated to making sure that students are encouraged and excited to go on these trips,鈥� Rose said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been to Spanish speaking countries, but those were like a week tops. I definitely have seen an improvement in my Spanish and my accent has changed because I want to talk like a Spaniard when I get back.鈥�
Rose hopes he鈥檒l have an opportunity to practice medicine abroad and feels that having stronger Spanish speaking skills will be a valuable asset in the U.S. or elsewhere.
鈥淚n my practice or wherever I鈥檓 working, I always want to be able to cater to patients the best I can. Just like me being in this country and not understanding all that鈥檚 being said, I can imagine what it鈥檚 like for a Spanish speaker to come to America and not know English very well and try to communicate healthcare needs. That must be pretty scary and seemingly impossible, so for me to be able to reach out to them and say 鈥業 speak Spanish. Let鈥檚 communicate about this.鈥� I think that鈥檚 a great way to reach out and let you know you care about them.鈥�
Andrew Howard鈥擲eville, Spain
Andrew Howard, an elementary education major and Spanish minor, is a rising senior from Williamston, South Carolina.
Howard originally planned on a Scotland-Ireland study abroad trip. That was during Spring 2020 when travel became out of the question as COVID-19 spread globally.
鈥淭he summer after that, I tried to study in Spain that summer too, because I wanted to work on my Spanish. COVID was still too bad. The trip got canceled again,鈥� Howard said. Finally, this past spring, Howard was able to enroll in the study abroad program for Seville, with the help of Dr. Butler and the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement.
鈥淚t worked out. It was kind of crazy, kind of just God taking care of me. I鈥檝e been wanting to study abroad for several years and it just happened to fall into place this time,鈥� Howard said.
Looking back on when he arrived in Spain, Howard readily admits to feeling like a fish out of water.
鈥淚 get to my host mom鈥檚 house and then everyone in the neighborhood only speaks Spanish. I come into the house and everyone in the house also only speaks Spanish,鈥� Howard said. 鈥淎fter I got unpacked and took a little nap from the jetlag, I was like 鈥楪od, if you don鈥檛 show up here, I am in trouble.鈥� I鈥檓 a Spanish minor, so I鈥檓 taking several Spanish classes at AU and have had some really great Spanish professors preparing me well. At the same time, it鈥檚 a whole different thing to come here and not be able to revert to English. It just kind of threw me in the deep end and鈥� I think it鈥檚 helped my learning a lot.鈥�
While adjusting to the language and culture and settling into his Spanish Literature class, Howard became aware of all that Seville had to offer.
鈥淭he city of Sevilla is actually home to a lot of the romanticist authors and poets鈥攕ome of Europe鈥檚 most famous poets. I鈥檝e been reading a lot of poetry in Spanish. I鈥檝e been reading a lot of Spanish literature,鈥� Howard said. 鈥淯sually everyone has classes from 9:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon. For the first two or three hours of class it鈥檚 all in Spanish. The professors know English, but we sign a contract that we can only speak Spanish in the school, so it鈥檚 completely immersive. For the last hour and a half of class, we go around the city. It鈥檚 kind of like a guided tour with the professor and we walk around and visit historical sites that we鈥檝e been reading about and settings from the literature that we鈥檝e been studying and we actually look at it and actually talk to people on the streets.鈥�
Howard says his Spanish skills have improved.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 going to be shocked when I go home, because I can actually hold my own now鈥� Some of the Sevillanos speak really fast and cut the ends off of some words, so this is actually considered a pretty difficult place for Spanish learners because they speak so fast and they kind of have a slang鈥� as compared to Barcelona and Madrid鈥攖hey speak really clearly and they speak slower. So I鈥檝e talked to a few people on the street. If I can figure it out here, then I can figure it out anywhere.鈥�
Howard also got to know fellow AU student Rose, sharing classes and traveling together.
鈥淏ryson and I have class together, so I see him every day. It鈥檚 been super fun because he does live on the other side of the river. Sometimes after class we鈥檒l go for ice cream together or on the weekends Bryson and I went to Paris together. We rented an AirBNB, went to see the Eiffel Tower and the ark, The Louvre, Mona Lisa and then last weekend me and Bryson went to Granada, which was the Moor capital of Spain.
Thinking of his study abroad experience, Howard feels blessed.
鈥淎t first I couldn鈥檛 really figure it out, but honestly God has really blessed me because my host family is great. My host mom gives me cooking classes, like traditional Spanish meals, so she teaches me how to cook things so I can take that home. They have Flamenco dancing; it鈥檚 like a native music dance; it was born in Sevilla; they say it鈥檚 the best Flamenco in the world. You can go to those shows,鈥� Howard said. 鈥淭hey have the largest cathedral in Spain. I pass it every day on the way to school. Sometimes I pray in there before class. I train Ju Jitsu back home at a gym in Anderson, so I wanted to fight a little bit while I was over here and just train. So last night I actually went and wrestled in Sevilla against some Spaniards and that was super fun too. I鈥檝e been putting myself in every situation I can.鈥�
Madeline Selman鈥擣lorence, Italy
Madeline Selman is a rising senior from Anderson, South Carolina, studying Business Marketing and Public Relations.
Her study abroad experience took place May 20 through July 2 in Florence, Italy, a program she found through the Center for Global Engagement from CAPA, a global education network.
Selman would walk each day through a city rich in history, passing the Duomo, a majestic 14th-Century cathedral. In the city that gave the world Michaelangelo, it seems fitting that one of her favorite classes has been oil painting.
鈥淚鈥檓 learning art in the best place to do so, which is very cool. I鈥檝e been able to create some pieces here and learn the basics of it,鈥� Selman said.
鈥淚 knew I wanted to study abroad since high school, so going into college I knew I was planning on doing it. I started looking into it freshman year of college and then COVID happened, so it kept getting pushed back. I had met with Ann (Themistocleous) since freshman year and in junior year we were finally able to feel safe about traveling abroad with the pandemic,鈥� Selman said. 鈥淚鈥檓 taking two classes here. We go to school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays for about six hours and I鈥檓 taking a cross-culture psychology class鈥攚e鈥檙e comparing American versus Italian culture, the differences and the behaviors that make up each culture.
Although Selman is the only 91福利社 student to study in Florence this summer, she鈥檚 become friends with many classmates that came from colleges and universities across the U.S.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all in the same situation of trying to figure out life abroad, how to handle it and all the challenges. You bond really quickly because you鈥檙e all in the same boat of trying to figure out how to do that,鈥� said Selman. 鈥淚鈥檓 in an apartment. There are seven of us, so I share this apartment with six other girls. There are three bedrooms鈥攖wo girls in two and then one of the bedrooms holds three girls. We hang out all the time. We love going for walks. We go see the sunset on the Ponte Vecchio. We get gelatos every night and just love wandering the city and just finding new places. We love to go dance to live street music, doing some shopping of course.鈥�
Being in Florence, the language barrier hasn鈥檛 been as much of a challenge as in other parts of Europe, since the Italian city caters to tourists, many of them English-speaking.
鈥淚鈥檇 say 95 percent of the people speak at least basic English if not more advanced English,鈥� Selman said, adding that even restaurant menus have an English version. 鈥淪ome of the signs are not in English, but you figure it out. All the places in Italy鈥擱ome, Milan, Sienna鈥攖hey all had pretty much English speakers.鈥�
Selman also took trips outside of Italy to Croatia and Switzerland, which she said was the most beautiful country she has ever seen.
鈥淚 would say the hardest place with the biggest language barrier was when we went to Croatia. There was very little English speaking and everything was in Croatian, but we just used Google Translate and kind of figured it out,鈥� Selman said.
鈥淓verything is so connected and it鈥檚 so much cheaper to travel once you鈥檙e in Europe. You literally can take a train or bus somewhere for the weekend for about a hundred bucks and it鈥檚 so convenient. The train station in Florence is only about a 20-minute walk from our apartment. All of us who were in this apartment knew we wanted to travel on the weekends together, and so when we first got here nailed down some places we wanted to go and looked into planning those trips,鈥� Selman said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have class Fridays or Mondays, so we have super long weekends to travel.鈥�
Selman is a strong believer in study abroad programs and encourages others to take advantage of any opportunities.
鈥淚t takes you out of your world for a little bit and gives you a new life for a while, which is an incredible feeling. Being fully immersed into a new culture is something you鈥檙e never going to get unless you just actually go and take the time to visit or even live in another country,鈥� Selman said. 鈥淭hese memories are going to last me forever. Just seeing the different ways people live鈥� the culture shock is real, but it is all worth it and so amazing. I have some friends I made who are locals and I鈥檓 going to miss them so much. Florence is such a dream. I would love to come back and do more of the seaside of Italy.鈥�
Studying Abroad with 91福利社
91福利社 is dedicated to creating unique study abroad experiences that last a lifetime. The Center for Global Engagement coordinates all study abroad programs for 91福利社 students. The center advises students regarding their study abroad options and helps them locate a program that fits their major, career objectives and interests. The Center for Global Engagement also assists with researching financial aid for programs and helps students develop a fiscal plan for their study abroad experience.
The Center for Global Engagement directs short-term programs, mission trips, faculty-led experimental learning programs and semester-long programs. 91福利社 has cooperative agreements so students can take part in semester-long programs in such countries as: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands and Uganda.
For more information, contact the Center for Global Engagement at studyabroad@andersonuniversity.edu or (864) 231-2141.