I never envisioned myself being able to study abroad while at Northwestern; it seemed far out of my reach due to financial factors. However, with the help of GLO, the Global Learning Office, I was able to go to Spain for 6 weeks with a Northwestern program!

I participated in our Spanish Language and Culture program, based in the city of Barcelona. The original reason I wanted to be apart of this program was the fact that it offered three Spanish classes that counted towards completing my Spanish minor. I found out pretty quickly that this program offered me much more than just an academic experience. Not only was I able to strengthen my Spanish speaking skills, but I also gained a new found independence, learned the importance of experiencing cultures different than my own, and developed lasting friendships with other Northwestern students. 

Through my program, I took three classes four days during the week and spent the other day going on different field trips. These field trips included going to beautiful places including La Sagrada Familia, Montserrat, the Picasso Museum, and more. One weekend we even traveled to Madrid for a field trip and saw the Prado art museum, went to a pride parade, stayed in a super nice hotel, and had a group dinner provided by Northwestern. One of the main aspects of the program was learning about the culture of Spain so seeing all of these fantastic sights helped with learning the cultural history of the country. On top of this, we also had several free weekends to relax or make other travel plans. On one of the free weekends, a group of us from the program took a weekend trip to Italy; we had a great bonding experience.

Even though the program is mostly structured and organized, students are given a lot of freedom to explore the city or to do anything else they want to do while staying in Barcelona. This is one of the ways the program allowed me to gain a new sense of independence. I navigated and took care of myself in a new country so it gave me a lot of confidence moving forward that I may one day be able to be a full fledged adult!  As amazing as visiting all those places were I would have to say even the small things about the trip are also moments that will stick with me forever. Getting to hangout at the beach, walking around Barcelona, and trying different restaurants with my new friends from the program were some of the little things I enjoyed the most about the trip. 

I recommend that every undergraduate student at Northwestern study abroad because the experience I had was one of a lifetime, and the same could happen for you. GLO and the  financial aid office have so many resources to make sure any student can travel the globe. At Northwestern, your financial aid does travel with you and your academic credits transfer back to campus. It’s no wonder that over half of Wildcats have an international experience!