Liberal Arts student spends summer in Spain through two study abroad programs

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Liberal Arts student Stevens Gustafson spent nearly three months in Spain this summer through two faculty-led study abroad programs offered through the College of the Liberal Arts.

Gustafson, a third-year student double majoring in Spanish and marketing, has spent time abroad in a handful of countries before. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to take a gap year after graduating from high school. He left his hometown of Evanston, Illinois, and traveled to Nepal and Tibet for 10 weeks, where he learned about their culture and lifestyles.

For Gustafson, the chance to spend the summer abroad in the south of Spain while earning school credit was a no-brainer. The program in Ronda, Spain — Spanish Language and Culture — was six weeks, and the program in Cádiz, Spain — also called Spanish Language and Culture — was four weeks. Gustafson originally interviewed for the Ronda program, and it was in that interview that he first learned about the Cádiz program.

Both programs allow students to earn academic credit — nine credits through the Ronda program and seven credits through the Cádiz program — so Gustafson decided to pursue them both. Before participating in the programs, Gustafson added his Spanish major knowing that he would be able to incorporate a second language into his future career in the marketing field.

“It made a lot of sense for me because I would be getting a ton of Spanish credits, and I have always wanted to study abroad during college,” Gustafson said.

Being away from family in a foreign country for nearly three months can be difficult for some to navigate alone. However, Gustafson felt that his past experiences with solo travel helped him remain calm while being away for so long. He also said that the people are what can make the whole experience.

“As time goes on, you start to become more comfortable with people, and you start to form those friendships,” Gustafson said. “In Ronda, I felt like as the program went on it got better and better because you’re getting more comfortable with the town and the trips we’d take.”

As an out-of-state student, studying abroad made sense to Gustafson since he was charged in-state tuition for those courses he took abroad. He also received enrichment funding through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network and was awarded an education abroad scholarship through the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

Even though the two programs were run by the same faculty members — Susana García-Prudencio and Miguel Ramírez-Bernal, who are both assistant teaching professors of Spanish — and only two weeks apart, Gustafson said the programs felt completely different.

During the Ronda program, students lived with host families. Whereas during the Cádiz program, students lived in dormitories.

“Going into it, I thought I was going to like the dorm stays more because you’d have your own room, and that’s where all my friends would be,” Gustafson said. “But I preferred the homestay to the dorm because we got homecooked meals, so the food was way better. Another part was being able to have a family, and the relationships I formed during the homestays were special.”

Although he completed a whole semester’s worth of classes and credits in less than three months, Gustafson said it was not overwhelming.

“It is a lot of credits in a short amount of time for each program, but it was all that I was doing. Studying abroad makes taking the classes seem easier or better, and it never felt like it was too much work,” Gustafson said.

The support of the faculty members also aided in balancing the workload and the stress of being away from home. Gustafson praised how García-Prudencio and Ramírez-Bernal were there for all their students through any problems, school-related or personal.

Not only did Gustafson’s Spanish speaking and writing abilities improve tremendously and his knowledge of Spain and the culture expand, but he was also able to learn more about himself and the world in general. 

“When you travel abroad and go to places like Spain, it broadens your perspective on life,” Gustafson said. “You sort of start to think about things a little differently, and I want to integrate those things into my life now.”

Interested students can learn more about faculty-led course trips and other education abroad experiences through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. The Career Enrichment Network is a resource for Liberal Arts students who are seeking opportunities to engage in career-related, international and professional development activities. Students can meet with a career coach to discuss internships, education abroad, research, the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program, and more. Through donor support, the Career Enrichment Network is able to provide Liberal Arts students with funding to participate in many of these experiences.