Study Abroad in Spain

I was first drawn to the study abroad program in Valencia, Spain when I saw it on the Mount Holyoke Study Abroad website. I wanted to go to a country where I could use and improve my knowledge of the Spanish Language, so a program in Spain was at the top of my list.

After doing a bit of research I fell in love with the city for many reasons—a beautiful mix of history and modernity, its size and of course its location—right by the beach!

Other good things about my program: living with a host family, exchange program with local University of Valencia students, all classes conducted in Spanish, internship opportunities, wonderful staff and faculty. I was hoping to become fluent in Spanish or in the very least become conversational and feel comfortable living and communicating only in Spanish. I was also hoping to become more independent and learn to put myself out there and feel confident in a variety of situations. I accomplished both.

This has probably been the most rewarding experience I've had yet. I made connections with people from all over the world, learned a new language, saw the most beautiful things I've ever seen and learned how to live in the moment. It sounds corny, but it's true.