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J Swanger, CLASS OF 2018

Learning Abroad Program:  Intensive Spanish Language & Culture in Oviedo, Spain

U Background: HBA, English and BA, International Relations with Foreign Relations & Security emphasis

Current Position: Alternative Breaks Program Manager at the University of Utah Bennion Center

 

MY STORY

As a first-gen college student from a low SES family, the prospect of participating in something as dream-like and flashy as I believed Learning Abroad to be didn’t always feel possible to me. In fact, I almost bailed on the info session I had signed up for because I didn’t want to be disappointed.

Fortunately, my Spanish professor at the time happened to be the faculty director of the Learning Abroad program, and encouraged me to attend just so I could hear about the experience. After talking to former students who had participated in the program and hearing how much it advanced their learning of the Spanish language and their approach to broader areas of their lives, I knew it was worth a shot to start my application and start figuring out if and how I could pay for this experience.

I was lucky. Literally. I won the Learning Abroad Student Fee scholarship, which covered about a fourth of the cost of the program; and I was fortunate enough to also receive the merit-based scholarship, which covered another fourth. Through a particularly clever and independently organized fundraiser, my mother pitched in by arranging gift baskets with different types of alcohol and doing a raffle at her favorite local bar. Looking back, it was a pretty genius plan she had for quite a few reasons, and it was definitely a successful fundraiser. I was able to pay for the remaining cost of the program and my flight using my savings from the jobs I was working at the time. To anyone unsure of how to fund a Learning Abroad experience, I can’t stress these few tips enough: (1) don’t be afraid to ask for support from those in your circle—they just might have a boozy fundraiser idea that they’ve been waiting to try out; (2) pursue any and all scholarships you can, whether offered by Learning Abroad or externally; and (3) be creative, and keep the end goal in mind: Learning Abroad is a deeply enriching educational experience that you simply can’t get in a classroom on campus, and when there’s a will, there’s a way.

Landing in Madrid before taking the train up to Oviedo was every bit as exciting and nerve-wracking as I had hoped. I had arranged my flight with two other students in the program, and together we set off into Spain. The skill development started immediately—well before the program officially started. As we navigated the city and attempted to find our hostels, we literally had no choice but to step outside of our comfort zones and apply our language skills like we never had to in a class on campus.

This challenge continued throughout my entire time in Spain, from meeting and living with my host family to attending classes with professors at Universidad de Oviedo. There was more depending on my language and cultural skills than just a good grade; the relationships I built with my host family (relationships I still hold today), my ability to travel independently in the country during excursions, even my desperate desire to order endless amounts of las tortillas españolas and, albeit more moderately, la sidra en Calle Gascona—all of this both depended on and inspired the development of my Spanish skills.

It’s been a few years since I returned from my Learning Abroad experience, but the global perspective and resilience I developed abroad continue to serve me in my professional and post-graduate education goals. I currently work in the field of community engagement, specifically organizing volunteers for non-local community work rooted in social and environmental justice education. Just like I learned during my Learning Abroad program, the benefits of stepping beyond one’s typical routine and geographic confines and connecting with the strengths and narratives of different places are unparalleled, but need to be reciprocated thoughtfully. Though it feels easy for me to connect my Learning Abroad program to my current position, I’m confident that—as I pursue graduate education and enter into different career field—my experiences as an undergrad abroad will continue to influence the ways in which I think about the world and serve as a great point of connection with a wide range of the people I meet and work with.

Last Updated: 7/12/22