Posted By: Career Enrichment Network
Applications for Study Abroad are open! If you are interested in going abroad find out more here!
Kelsey Wetzel, Majoring in Labor Employment Relations and Spanish, spent last Spring studying abroad in Alicante, Spain. Read on, to learn more about Kelsey’s experience while she was there!
Photos and Content contributed by Kelsey Wetzel, while she was completing her semester in Spain last year.
This semester, I have had the opportunity to be abroad in Alicante, Spain! I chose Alicante because it’s a smaller program, and I haven’t doubted for a second that I made the right decision. Because our program is smaller, we have the opportunity to do so many things, with study trips included. A smaller program ensures that I’m not caught speaking English the entire time. I have lots of American friends, but I have Spanish friends, too, who include me in their hometown’s festivals and share with me their culture and language. Alicante is a small city, so very few people speak English. When traveling to larger cities in Spain, I found waiters and store owners spoke to me in English, but here, I am able to use my Spanish constantly. Alicante was recently just rated one of the top 10 places to study abroad and feel like a local, and I find this to be extremely true. While the blonde hair and blue eyes sticks out, I am not treated like a foreigner or tourist. I feel like I really do belong and live her. We also have the beach, mountains, and a castle right in the middle of the city, so there is plenty to do and explore!
I decided to study abroad to broaden my knowledge and understanding of both the Spanish language and the culture. Studying abroad is such an amazing, unique experience, and one that I knew I would never have the opportunity for again. I live with a Spanish family, who I spend time with constantly, and have the ability to practice my Spanish as well as learn about Spanish foods, festivals, and the general Spanish way of life. Also, being abroad and so far away from home has taught me a lot about myself. I can plan and navigate trips to other countries, speak to random strangers in Spanish, and so many other things. Of course, there are always a few slip-ups; getting lost in the city for an extra hour on a run, missing trams, and saying things in Spanish that have a much different meaning than you intended, but it’s all a learning experience, and an enjoyable one at that.
Many of these things wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t here for the semester. I see my language skills continually improving over the entire four and a half months. I’m taking a class on Human Resources at the University of Alicante, just like any HR class at Penn State, but with a native professor and students, and college-level textbooks, lecture slides, and exams- all in Spanish. While it’s extremely difficult, it’s a unique experience that I wouldn’t have gotten if I had only been here for the summer. By being here for the whole semester, I have made lasting bonds with my Spanish family, and they’ve already told me I’m welcome in their home anytime, and that they expect me to come back and visit so they can meet my husband and kids in the future. The bonds I’ve created with my host family and the things I am able to experience through them have been one of my favorite parts of living in Alicante for the semester.
My favorite experience in Spain so far has been trekking the Camino de Santiago. Since Alicante is a small program, they are able to offer the Camino as an optional excursion. The Camino de Santiago is an ancient pilgrimage through northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela which holds the tomb of Santiago, or Saint James. With other friends from my program, I spent five days hiking the last 110km (70 miles) with nothing more than what we carried on our backs. We saw new parts of Spain, met all kinds of people, and learned all about the history on the way. Trekking the Camino is an experience that is hard to explain, but the bonds I formed and the things that I did will forever be an unforgettable memory.
My time in Alicante is quickly coming to a close, but I know I’ll be back! Alicante and my time in Spain will forever hold a piece of my heart, and is an experience that I will have with me for the rest of my life. Studying abroad in Alicante is one of the best choices I made while at Penn State.
Applications are open! All Liberal Arts students studying abroad are eligible for Enrichment Funding. To learn more, please schedule an appointment via Network Symplicity or email Jackie Smith, Global Experiences Coordinator (jds54@psu.edu)