Penn State students immerse themselves in Spanish language, culture in Cádiz

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.— In July, Penn State students spent four weeks immersing themselves in Spanish language and culture in Cádiz, Spain, through one of the 14 faculty-led education abroad programs offered by the College of the Liberal Arts this summer.

The “Spanish Language and Culture” program, led by Associate Teaching Professors of Spanish Susana García-Prudencio and Miguel Ramírez-Bernal since 2022, combined coursework with opportunities to experience Spanish art, history, language and literature firsthand. Students attended local events, visited cultural sites and traveled beyond Cádiz on excursions to destinations including Granada, Seville and Ronda.

For Samantha Mullen, a third-year student studying advertising/public relations and minoring in Spanish, the program offered an opportunity to build on her previous study of the language while experiencing it in everyday life.

“I’ve been studying Spanish for seven years and wanted to continue the progress I had made during middle and high school,” Mullen said. “I work with many Spanish-speaking people in my community, and I felt as if this program would help build my Spanish-speaking skills.

“Ronda was probably the most beautiful place we saw,” she said.

Students attended classes each morning, with afternoons available to explore Cádiz, spend time together and put their Spanish skills to use outside the classroom. Courses were taught by Penn State faculty, including Teaching Professor of Spanish Joe Bauman, as well as local instructors in Cádiz.

Students earn seven academic credits during the four-week program, with excursions and educational trips designed to complement their coursework.

“The primary purpose of the Cádiz program is academic: students are in Spain to study, take courses for a total of seven academic credits, and develop their language proficiency and intercultural competence,” García-Prudencio said. “Visits to historical landmarks, cultural sites and local communities provide students with firsthand experiences that deepen their understanding of Spanish language, history and culture.”

The four-week format also offers students an option between a shorter embedded program and spending a full semester abroad.

“The Cádiz program is a great option for students who want to study abroad without committing to a full semester,” García-Prudencio said. “Living together in a residence hall and participating in classes, cultural activities and excursions gives students a meaningful introduction to Spanish language and culture while providing a valuable first study abroad experience.”

Carolina Gomes, a third-year student majoring in special education with a minor in Spanish, learned about the program after taking SPAN 100 with Ramírez-Bernal. Gomes, who grew up in Brazil speaking Portuguese, said living in Cádiz gave her a chance to experience a different culture while getting to know the other Penn State students in the program.

“The atmosphere is very different. The water was so clear and calm. In Cádiz, people go to the beach all the time after work. It’s like their park,” Gomes said. “Going into this program, you don’t know the other people you’re traveling with. We would all go to the beach and sit there for hours. Most days it made us hang out and form a stronger bond. That was the best month of my life.”

Sophia Crews, a fourth-year student pursuing a master of accounting through an integrated undergraduate-graduate program and minoring in Spanish, found another way to experience Spanish culture during the program: joining local residents to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Crews and her classmates visited local eateries to watch matches and learned Spanish soccer chants along the way.

“I had so much fun watching the World Cup,” Crews said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There was high energy all around — like when the Eagles won the Super Bowl, but intensify that.”

For Nicole Schulz, a second-year student studying international politics with a concentration in international political economy, one of the most meaningful parts of the experience came through an academic assignment.

As part of SPAN 496 with Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish Lauren Halberstadt, students kept diaries throughout the program, writing daily entries in Spanish to document and reflect on their experiences.

“I’m thankful I got to do it because now I can look back on it,” Schulz said. “I especially loved showing it to my mom, who is Colombian. She loved it too and was so excited to read it.”

For Schulz, enrichment funding through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network helped make the experience financially possible.

“With enrichment funding and other financial resources, I was able to do this program,” she said. “I am very grateful to the college because without this support, the funding aspect would have been extremely daunting.”

Crews also received financial support through the Smeal College of Business’ study abroad fund.

“I would not have been able to do this without the financial aid I received,” Crews said. “It was a huge help. I was worried about the financial stress and being out of work those weeks, but receiving the extra support put me at ease.”