When Rachael Willihnganz (IAFS ‘20) came to CU Boulder, she had one goal above the rest: graduate with Spanish language fluency for a career in Hispanic human rights and environmental policy. After being accepted into the ISA Spain: Granada Hispanic Studies program and receiving a Global Grant from IAFS, Willihnganz packed her bags for a semester abroad. Here are a few excerpts written during her time abroad:
On language and learning:
My language skills are sharpening from living with Spanish-speaking people and taking my classes in Spanish. On top of my language and grammar courses, I am enrolled in: Spanish Art History, Islamic Studies, and Politics of Spain and the European Union. My favorite experiences have been at the Residencia de Mayores San Juan de Dios, where I volunteer weekly. I visit with elderly patrons to talk, listen, and play games with them. Not only does it give me a great chance to practice my Spanish with native speakers, I also get to hear fascinating stories of childhoods during the Spanish Civil War (from 1936 to 1939) and the rule of Francisco Franco (from 1939 to 1975). Also, I particiated in an Intercultural Development Workshop, where we explored topics of multiculturalism, identity, resilience, ambiguity, and mindfulness in the context of study abroad. Of the many lessons learned through this workshop, I learned how to thoroughly evaluate my experiences from an intercultural lens.
On daily life and travels:
Here in Granada, I am staying with my host parents, two cats, and a fellow CU Boulder student Emma. Our host mom is a vegetarian, which inspired Emma and I to switch to a healthy Mediterranean vegetarian diet—and it's been delicious! My favorite thing to do at home is enjoy the warm Spanish sun on our host parent's balcony, where you can see the city, the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias, and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Recently, I took a three-day trip to Morocco, and as we crossed the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea via ferry. There, I could see Gibraltar, Spain, and the tip of Africa all at the same time! One of my favorite ISA program-sponsored events was the Community Service Day, where our group went to the beaches at Salobrena to clean up litter after a hard, rainy season, in support of the environment and toursim economy.
On future plans:
I am really excited to take the lessons learned here in Granada back to Boulder, Colorado. I plan to apply what I have learned in Granada directly to my summer 2018 internship with Intercambio, a Boulder-based non-profit aimed to enrich immigrant lives with English language learning, where I will serve as the Community Events Manager Intern. My time abroad has helped me grow personally, academically, and professionally. Studying abroad in Granada has helped me prepare for my future career goals in more ways than I could have ever imagined.
***Rachael Willihnganz was also featured on the ISA Abroad Student Blog for an article she wrote: From Starbucks to Spain: Experiencing Coffee Across the World.***