I chose the Sol, Granada Spain program because it looked well-planned, it was highly recommended by other students and my advisor, and I was very interested in studying in Spain! As an Interfaith major, I am highly interested in the blend of unique identities and cultures you can find in Granada. The winding streets and Andalucian culture enchanted me.
Alumni Spotlight: Josephine Stommel
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Josephine is a student at Elizabethtown College where she studies Interfaith Leadership, Spanish, and International Studies. She is passionate about peace education and multicultural literacy!
Why did you choose this program?
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
My program provider assisted with transportation pick-up from the airport, recommended flights and items to pack, provided instructions for obtaining a student visa, and more. My main responsibilities involved completing forms by the noted deadlines and obtaining a student visa. I found the program provider easy to reach and receptive to questions.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Read up on travel blogs, and make a bucket list of things you are interested in doing prior to your time abroad! This will keep you active from the get-go and reduce homesickness. Although it may be daunting to be heading to a new destination all alone, having a few interests in mind can help you make new friends and will be quite the adventure.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
An average day as a participant of this program looks like attending classes, eating lunch at around 3 pm with your host family/ other housing arrangements, enjoying activities throughout the city, attending a planned Sol activity, homework, and dinner at around 9 pm. Per the classes I was enrolled in, I attended classes Monday through Thursday; in the intensive program, classes are held Monday through Friday.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
My biggest fear going into my experience was getting sick abroad. Although I did indeed get sick during my time abroad, I found it was not as difficult to manage as I had feared. My host mom and friends were happy to help, and my directors were super helpful and readily available if I needed to go to the doctor.