Program Reviews

Living and studying in Quito was a life-changing experience. When people ask me how my trip was, it’s impossible to just say, “it was good.” This experience left me feeling humbled. I found a deepened understanding in my abilities and my goals. Being immersed in another culture completely is something all college students need to experience. One incredible aspect of this program is the internship. You get to work in another country AND build your Spanish vocabulary. Lastly, the home stay really makes you feel like you have a home in another country, and another family. That is not something you get in other study abroad programs. I left so impressed and awed and the things I experienced. Thank you HECUA!

Spending a semester traveling, interning and studying New Zealand with a cohort of students and a group of caring and humble faculty is one of those experiences that will stick with me always.

New Zealand is a beautiful country, with friendly people. The island biodiversity, progressive politics, copious sustainability initiatives, and indigneous-colonizer relationships make it an interesting and unique place to study biology, political science, environmental studies, and peace and justice studies.

HECUA staff did a great job of supporting me throughout the semester, as well as in the logistics of travel before and after. I always felt safe, learned a ton (academically and personally), and had a lot of fun.

Spending a semester in Italy was amazing. The slow food and community oriented culture made the stay delightful and authentic. Many natives of Montespertoli were kind and welcoming as long as you were respectful. Filippo was incredibly supportive whenever we had questions or needed assistance. What I enjoyed most were the field trips we took all around Tuscany and further south. We got the privilege of experiencing the Italian countryside and wine culture at its apex with insightful natives as our guides. I also enjoyed the freedom we got on the weekends. I spent a lot of time traveling to other surrounding cities and countries. One piece of advice is to save up as much money as you can to travel in your free time. I spent a lot of time trying to decide if certain weekend trips would be worth the money but I never regretted the expenses after I made the experiences. However, contrary to many Italians, you will need to be punctual with your time. Getting to and from Montespertoli can be difficult and risky if you are negligent about the bus schedule.

Getting the chance to study abroad in a smaller Italian city gave us the chance to get to know some of the locals. I was lucky enough to stage at a local gelato shop, along with a few other students. The owners took the time to get to know us, helped us with our Italian, and taught us quite a bit about Italian food and culture.

At Sonnino, the teachers are very welcoming and are adaptive. They truly care about the students and the academics. We had a few classes that we were able to be outside, either learning about sharecropping, or from a local gardner. This program does provide opportunities to grow as a person as well as learn about the Italian culture and lifestyle.

I loved so many things about this program and miss it a TON now that I'm back at my university. This program was unique in so many ways. I was continually impressed by the level of community immersion (rather than immersion just in one university setting) that took place. I knew it was a social change program before I committed but was even more impressed once I got my feet on the ground there.

We took three really eye-opening field trips to different parts of the country. We were also able to do a lot of traveling on our own on the weekends because we had enough time and cost of living was rather inexpensive while we were there. Whenever I recount my study abroad experiences to others, they (and I!) are amazed by how much ground we covered because of the content and structure of the program.

As a group, we had fantastic homestay experiences, which helped so much with learning the language and with understanding Ecuadorian culture. My internship was rewarding in the same ways and so many more. HECUA's professors were knowledgeable about everything they taught and provided us with so much personal support through the program as well.

I absolutely absolutely ABSOLUTELY recommend this program to anyone who is interested.

This program was the perfect combination of independence and community, academics and career building, travel and finding a place to call home on the other side of the world.

The professors are some of the most caring and inspiring I have ever had, allowing me to pursue topics I was interested in, challenge what I thought I was capable, adapt to my overall needs and help achieve whatever I set my mind to.

The program is beautifully designed to show you slices of beauty across New Zealand as you travel the first month and build relationships with your fellow students and teachers. It makes the moment you arrive in your homestay in Wellington so much sweeter as you revel in finally unpacking your suitcase at your homestay. I was lucky enough to intern at Conscious Consumers and inch closer to the kinds of careers I want post-graduation as well as getting a taste of what it could really be like to live and work abroad.

As we were saying goodbye, one of my coworkers commented that "New Zealand tends to get its hook in people". I didn't realize until I came home home much the country and its inhabitants really have touched me in a way that begs to draw me back.

My trip with HECUA to New Zealand was transformative. Going into it, I thought I would get an environmental and cultural education; however, it was so much more than that. The program is set up in such a way that really immerses you in New Zealand culture and the issues you are studying. You get a wide range of views and opinions by visiting permaculture farms, staying with indigenous Maori and talking to policymakers. The program taught me how to change my perspective, shift away from my traditional western views to consider issues like dairy farming and renewable energy from local indigenous perspectives. There is a nice combination of travelling and homestay, because you get to see a large amount of New Zealand while also forming stronger connections in Wellington with your host family and internship. As a Psychology/Educational Studies double major, I was not sure if this program was a great fit, however its inclusive and holistic nature makes it applicable to all areas of study. I really recommend it!

If you are looking for a personal, eyeopening, and inspirational experience HECUA New Zealand will provide. This program is perfect for any major and is actually enhanced by the wide range of students who participate. Not only is the first month of the program hugely informative on topics ranging from New Zealand's environmental issues to Maori language revitalization it is also a very special emotional and even spiritual experience. I say this because the staff of this program are truly amazing and pour their hearts and souls in to sharing what they love and loath about their country with their students. The program has an emphasis on Maori cultural values and practices and therefore has a emphasis on communing with nature. If you do not like sharing your feelings or spending time in the bush then this program is not for you. If you are ready to let go of your personal inhibitions and learn by doing and feeling then this is for you. Respect and patience play a huge role in having a good experience as well, you must be ready to do things that you might not usually comfortable with, like sharing your feelings and experiences in a group setting. The Wellington section of the program is also great. Wellington is a fun city and the public transportation system is awesome. Make sure to chose an internship you are going to like, I would suggest talking to people who have had the internship in the past before you settle on it. To suffice, you will not regret having embarked on this experience, one you return home you will see how much you have learned about the world and about yourself, I guarantee.

During the course of my semester abroad in Italy, we lived and worked in a winery estate vineyard. We were directly involved with the wine production on the castle's estate and we also learned how they market, sell and produce their wines. We also learned Italian language courses, and took 3 other courses during our time in Italy. On weekends, you are free to travel to neighboring countries or cities, which makes studying abroad a lifetime goal for any adventurer, learner or experience-taker.

Day one of our journey. A vehicle full of strangers headed to a place called One Tree Hill (which has nothing to so with the soap opera). Upon arrival we were given free reign to explore the area and see the beautiful monuments and landmarks. It appeared that it was about to rain. Scratch that.... it was about to pour. We made our climb snapped our first group photo and quickly learned what New Zealand weather was all about. This is the first real moment of appreciation that I had for the adventure that was to come. Today looking back at it, my expectations fell short of the reality of this journey. My life has changed and it all started with that one not so peculiar, peculiar moment.