Students explore language and culture during trip to Spain and Italy

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In May, a group of Penn State students embarked on a whirlwind, two-week trip to Spain and Italy as part of the SPAN/IT/PORT 210N: Multilingual and Intercultural Communication embedded program.

The course, taught by Lauren Halberstadt, associate teaching professor of Spanish, focuses on communication strategies for succeeding in multilingual situations and new cultural environments. She was joined by Joseph Bauman, teaching professor of Spanish, who also served as a faculty leader for the program. The students started in Bilbao and San Sebastián in Spain’s Basque region, then ventured to Prato, Florence, Bologna and Lucca in Italy.

Designed as an immersive course in how to live thoughtfully in the world, the program wove together classroom concepts such as dialect variation, cultural norms and second-language strategies with the real-world context of daily life in a foreign country.

Students visited the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Uffizi in Florence, and even ordered Chinese food using Italian menus in Prato. They climbed the Duomo, wandered the streets of Bologna and collaborated on projects with students from Monash University.

While in Prato, the class toured the Antonio Mattei Biscotti Factory, which is a tradition Halberstadt has done the last three years she’s taken her class abroad.

“Every year, we visit the factory, which makes fresh biscotti, in Prato known as cantucci, with a focus on a few fresh ingredients,” she said. “Our students get to see the entire production process and taste the biscotti straight from the oven.”

For Myla Mamani, a student majoring in global and international studies and Spanish and minoring in French and Francophone studies, the second cooking class stood out most.

“My favorite moment was when we cooked pizza and tiramisu together,” she said. “It was our last night. We reflected on everything we’d been through, and of course, the food was amazing.”

The food was memorable, but, Mamani said, it was far from the only way the trip brought culture to life.

“You can learn about culture in a classroom,” Mamani said. “But until you’re standing at the top of the Duomo, out of breath, seeing all of Florence below you, it doesn’t really click. That’s when you understand what culture feels like.”

In San Sebastián, students met Oier Peñagaricano, a Penn State alumnus who earned his degree in aerospace engineering in 2004. A San Sebastián native, Peñagaricano is the founder and CEO of Alerion, a company focused on drone-based wind turbine inspections. He welcomed the group to his hometown, offering a local’s perspective and helping introduce them to the city. His warmth, insight and accomplishments left a lasting impression, serving as an inspiring example of Penn State success on a global scale.

Diana Lopez, a student on the trip, said she had never been out of the country before.

“I’d received enrichment funding before for another out-of-classroom experience,” said Lopez, a fourth-year student majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish. “But this trip? This was different. This was life changing.”

Lopez took on a leadership role as the program’s student liaison, communicating feedback and logistics between students and faculty. And while she expected to grow academically, she said, she didn’t anticipate how much she’d change personally.

“Navigating a foreign place where you don’t speak the language fluently? That’s vulnerability. That’s courage. And that’s exactly what Penn State taught me — to lead with curiosity and empathy,” Lopez said.

Lopez, along with her peers, praised Halberstadt for her academic rigor and emotional availability, whether she was helping with flight details or guiding the group through unfamiliar public transportation.

“She made sure we knew what was expected but also gave us the space to explore,” Lopez said. “There was always room to ask questions, to wonder, to grow.”

At each turn of the trip, students were gently reminded by the faculty leaders to be curious, not certain. Observe before interpreting. Connect before comparing.

“Honestly, this trip made me see my life differently,” Mamani said. “I became more independent, more open. I grew in ways I didn’t expect.”

Lopez noted how the intercultural communication skills she practiced abroad directly support her future goal of becoming an occupational therapist.

“You don’t get to choose who you work with in health care,” she said. “You need to understand people: their culture, their norms, their language. This trip was my training ground for that.”

And the structure of the program made it approachable for students who couldn’t commit to a full semester abroad, Lopez noted.

“The two-week window was perfect,” she said. “It gave me the space to explore, but I still had time for a summer internship.”

As the trip ended, students didn’t just return with souvenirs and sunset photos, but something far more valuable: perspective. They saw how language bridges gaps. How culture is more than cuisine. How stepping outside your world teaches you more about your place in it.

Liberal Arts students interested in education abroad can learn more about enrichment funding and embedded programs through the College of the Liberal Arts. Students interested in the "Multilingual and Intercultural Communication" embedded course for spring 2026 should email Lauren Halberstadt at lyp5028@psu.edu.