Springfield College Voices
"To find a job in the market today is tough. Having the ability to speak or comprehend another language, especially Spanish, is a great asset. Since my study abroad program at Alcalingua de la Universidad de Alcalá, I have been able to utilize the language daily and am beginning to pursue a career in teaching Spanish. With my job hunt, most interviewers/employers have made reference to my Spanish speaking abilities. The study abroad program is more than worth the opportunity to go overseas. It was a life changing experience and will remain with me forever."
Sarah Warhaftig ‘03
Springfield College
Sales Administrator
Fox Sports en Español
“Studying abroad in Australia is a tough experience to sum up because it was the best experience of my life! Prepare for the best multicultural education. You'll have a blast experiencing different cultures, seeing the beautiful sites and meeting people from all over the world. You will not only gain a new appreciation and understanding of life, people, places and different cultures, you will develop a sense of self and independence that will continue to be valuable throughout your whole life.”
Leslie Gaillard ‘07
Springfield College
"To be able to characterize my experience as a Study Abroad student as “The Opportunity of a Lifetime” can be deemed so much of an understatement. The things that I have seen and the people that I have met are all elements to the experience that are priceless, and things that I am sure that I would not trade for anything.
Being born and raised in the city in which I attend college has had its definite benefits and drawbacks alike. I have been able to enjoy a safety net in my times of need. However, with that safety net came a bit of dependence on the normality of my life in Springfield (Massachusetts). This Study Abroad experience has been my first time actually being away from home for an extended period of time, and yes, it took some time to get used to the differences between Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, and Springfield, Massachusetts. With that being said however, I can honesty attest that this experience has widely broadened my perspective on how vast the world we live in truly is.
The chance afforded to myself and my classmates at the Universidad de Alcalá has been profound. It blew my mind that I was taking a Spanish grammar class with students from the U.S, Romania, China, Germany, Brazil, and Japan. At that point, I felt as if I was part of something that I would never forget. The professors at Alcalingua have done a good job of catering to the needs of students, no matter our grasp of the Spanish language. That fact, in conjunction with the constant Spanish spoken amongst me and my roommates (both of whom are from Spain and do not know much English), I feel as if I have made a number of strides on the path to proficiency in my speaking and comprehension of the language.
The learning does not stop when I set foot outside of the classroom. Living in Europe has given me all the reason to see some of the places I have only seen in geography books. I have been to a number of cities in Spain including Madrid, Segovia, Cadíz, Granada, Cordóba, and Toledo. Each of these cities has its own distinct charm attached. I have also traveled to London, Rome, and Paris. In each of these cities, I have stood in awe thinking about all the beauty and history I was surrounded by. The stories I have and pictures I have taken will be carried with me throughout my life.
All in all, I have to say that if given the opportunity to have this experience again, I would do it in a heartbeat. I feel fortunate at my age to see what I have seen, because many people cannot. I have learned so many things about the language, Europe, and even about myself, that I would not have been able to learn back in Massachusetts. I would recommend a Study Abroad experience for all, because I can testify that this opportunity can be a beneficial one."
Ronald Johnson
Springfield College
"Five strangers meet in the airport before they leave for an amazing journey. As we wait to board our plane, we make small talk but there is an awkward feeling from everyone; we’re leaving our family, our friends, familiarity and most of all our comfort to go to school in another country where the people don’t speak our language. Although no one says it, we all are very excited, but scared at the same time; we’re about to spend the next four months with people whom we’ve never met before. After we all say the good-byes to our families, we don’t have anyone to turn to but each other.
As the months pass in Alcalá, Spain these five people are the farthest thing from “strangers,” now they are family. Spending everyday with the same people automatically draws you closer to them and causes you to develop a friendship that will never be forgotten or lost. Between the five of us, we all had our good days and our bad days, but we turned to each other for support and comfort in this foreign land that we chose to live in. We talked about our childhood, our friends, love, our families, relationships- everything. Within the four months that we were in Alcala, we all felt as if we had known each other for years, never mind months.
Studying abroad is an amazing experience alone- living in another country and being able to make it on your own is an amazing feeling. When you have other people to share it with makes the experience even more worth while. No one will ever understand the feelings that go through your body when you see a certain historical site or the other emotions that you undergo throughout the semester you’re abroad other than the people that share it with you. Whether it at the same time or at complete opposite times, each person feels the same way at one time or another. Our group was able to use each other as a support group and we were able to get through the difficult times together. Spending a semester in another country is incredible, but very difficult at the same time. We didn’t have anyone except each other and we made sure to watch out and protect each other when necessary.
After being home for a few months, I find that I miss the five people that I went to Spain with. Certain songs and smells bring back memories of the days we shared abroad, and it makes me miss the times that we had and appreciate the opportunity. I’m very thankful to have gotten placed with the people I did because I learned a lot not only from studying abroad, but from them as well."
Erin McLane
Springfield College
"To keep things simple: Everyone should study abroad. There are no reasons not to. Before heading off to Alcalingua, friends back at school said, “You are so lucky to study abroad. I am so jealous.” There is work involved, such as papers to write, classes to pass, etc. but that should not deter anyone from studying abroad. If it is planned ahead of time, there is no reason why someone should not take the opportunity to experience new things, grow within themselves, and, most importantly, learn.
I cannot even explain just how happy I am that I came here to Alcalá to study Spanish. Honestly, four months is not nearly enough time, and I definitely would not mind staying for another eight months. One thing I realized as soon as I got here was the diversity around this little city. I ended up taking Spanish classes among French, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, German, and American kids ranging in age from 19 – 31. The conversation classes were definitely some of the most interesting classes I have ever taken because of the different experiences and lifestyles.
Living at the residencies has been great, as well. I started out living with a host mother in her 60’s but unfortunately, it was not the ideal situation for me. I moved to the residencies a month later and have not regretted it at all. Living with seven other housemates from all different backgrounds has been another experience in itself. It can be best described as the Real World Alcalá, except with much more of a diverse group and none of the fights and arguments. Despite the different backgrounds, it is great to have Spanish as the primary language spoken within the house. From the house to the classes, the whole time has been an unbelievable learning experience that has been nonexistent within my classes in the United States thus far.
As a person, I know I have changed internally. It is tough to explain, but my interest in the world and other countries has grown exponentially. Living in the United States has somewhat sheltered me from what has been going on within the rest of the world. Being out in Spain has also made me realize just how important it is to be bilingual nowadays. It is amazing to me that a great majority of the Europeans that I have met are actually learning their third language (i.e. Spanish) and are already quite fluent in English and, of course, their home language. Something has got to change within the American school systems so that the younger generations are exposed to different languages at a much younger age, but I digress.
Without a doubt, deciding to study abroad has been one of the best decisions of my life. I will not forget the people I have met, the things I have learned, or the experiences. Being out here has taught me intangible things that are not possible to receive within a textbook. Travelling, learning, growing, and experiencing new things; there is nothing better."
Tony Larkin
Springfield College
