¡Hola! I am Victoria Amado, a junior studying Policy Studies, Information Management & Technology, and Spanish Language, Literature & Culture. I will be graduating in the spring of 2023, and I had the pleasure of studying abroad in the fall 2021 semester in Madrid, Spain. To say it has changed my life would be the understatement of the century.
I knew I wanted to go abroad to Madrid from the moment I stepped foot in the city while visiting my older sister years ago, also studying abroad with Syracuse. I had gone home from that trip enchanted by the language, cuisine, and culture. Coming from living in a COVID world and having done little to no travel in two years, I knew junior year was my time to explore. What I couldn’t decide was when to go to Madrid, fall or spring. Alongside my strong desire to go back to Madrid, was the dream I had since I was little to go to London. After a lot of deliberation, and pro/con lists, I decided that neither of these goals was going to be compromised, and instead I would go abroad for the entire year, first to Madrid and then to London. From there, it was an easy decision that fall 2021 would be my time in Madrid.
My classes abroad were some of the most rewarding work I have done. We got to experience everything we were learning in the classroom directly in the streets. All of the professors were so passionate about teaching us the ins and outs of Spanish life. One of my favorite courses was a Spanish course called De Madrid Al Cielo. We were reading and exploring Spanish literature, history, and society in the classroom, but the professor would include a wide range of places to visit, eat, and enjoy that was directly connected to what we were learning! Another one of my favorite courses was a history course called Arts of Spain, where we would analyze different artworks and architectural designs and then see these practices in art at different museums across the city!
While classes may be the focus of your time abroad, another thing that is nearly just as influential to the experience is travel! During my time in Madrid, we had to adhere to COVID protocols and were not allowed to leave continental Spain. Some thought this would hurt our traveling opportunities while abroad, I think they did just the opposite. During my time in Spain, I was able to explore the country and all of its glory. I visited Salamanca, el Escorial, Valencia, Cordoba, and my personal favorites Malaga, Barcelona, and Sevilla. From attending a soccer game in Malaga, to walking the streets of Barcelona, and to having my heart melt during a Flamenco show in Sevilla, traveling in Spain was nothing short of jaw-dropping.
One of the things that are most important to me in life is dancing. While abroad, I knew I wanted to continue my training and learn new styles from the professionals in Madrid. Anxiously walking into a dance class in a new city was one of the scariest things I did abroad, but also the most rewarding. I ended up finding my home away from home, taking 2-3 classes a week from different Spanish choreographers, and loving every minute of it.
It was honestly one of the hardest things to say goodbye to because it had become such an important part of my abroad experience. But it wasn’t the only thing I was sad to leave behind. My neighborhood, favorite stores, and cafes, professors, and staff at Syracuse abroad, my new Spanish friends, and the magic of Madrid were hard to leave. I hold my semester in Madrid very close to my heart and know it has made me the person I am today.
Victoria Amado’23
Syracuse Madrid ’21
“The most unforgettable and valuable experience of being abroad in Central Europe was the people that I had the pleasure of meeting. We had the opportunity to speak with so many unique individuals who taught us so much about history and culture. One of the most memorable experiences was speaking with the granddaughter of a Holocaust victim. Hearing her family’s story and learning about the history of my religion and culture was so impactful. I will always be grateful for all of the people we had the pleasure of meeting and learning from in Central Europe!”
“Studying abroad was one of the best experiences of my life. Living somewhere new opens your eyes and pushes you out of your comfort zone on a daily basis. I learned so much about myself while I was abroad and had the best time. My most valuable experience was getting to visit so many different cities within France. With Covid restrictions, we were not able to travel to many other countries. I was able to more deeply explore France and all that it has to offer than if I was able to visit any country I wanted. From city to city, you can feel the differences in the way people interact with one another, the architecture, and the food people eat. Even though France is a small country, it feels so much larger.”
“Being able to work at a school in the countryside of Denmark was an amazing experience. This was such a wonderful immersion program that allowed us to gain primary experience in a foreign classroom and see firsthand the difference in teaching strategies between the US and Denmark. Developing a relationship with the students and teachers at this school was such an important aspect of my abroad experience.”
“My most unforgettable experience was traveling around Spain, especially the bullet train trips, because I was able to see many communities outside of Madrid. I was able to go to Cuenca, Granada, Segovia, and many more places. I enjoyed visiting monuments in every city because each city had its own history and monuments that made them unique. As I traveled through Spain, I was able to see and learn about the history and origins of each city and what it had to offer, especially the monuments. My favorite monument was the Aqueducts in Segovia because it looks like it’s in pristine condition and it goes on for miles through the city.”
“My most unforgettable experience in London was attending one of the press nights hosted by the theatre I was doing an internship at. For these events, the staff at the theatre, the family members of the cast, and critics all see the show and then meet at a restaurant to discuss the show and the theatre industry as a whole over wine and appetizers. The second time I went to a press night, I was the only intern there, and it forced me to come out of my shell and make connections with others that were there. I was able to meet a woman who worked at another theatre in London, and I was also able to get to know my supervisor and co-worker more outside of what is discussed in the office. This was such an unforgettable experience for me because this event is what made me really start to feel like I had a home and community in London and it wasn’t just somewhere I was visiting on a quick trip.”
Hi – my name is Karen and during the summer of 2019, I spent my time interning at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The Council is an intergovernmental organization with 47 member states, working to promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law within its jurisdiction and beyond. As I am working toward master’s degrees in both Public Administration and International Relations, this presented an opportunity for me to gain insight into both my areas of interest simultaneously. I had my office in the Agora building, which not only gave me great access to my team members and other interns, but also provided for a very interesting work environment overall.
My assignments were focused on various research projects relating to human rights, with the main emphasis being on environmental issues as these impact, and are impacted by, human rights. I also wrote speech drafts, proofread documents to be sent out and published, and took notes at different meetings. The most valuable experience for me during my internship, however, was the opportunity to experience how the organization functions. It was important to my supervisor that I get as much out of my experience as possible, which led to her encouraging me to attend different plenary meetings, sessions, and voting procedures. These areas were not directly relevant to my work per se, so I was not required to take notes and work during that time but was encouraged to just attend and take in the experience. Through these instances I also got the opportunity to network and socialize with relevant actors from my field during breaks and lunches, which gave me much insight into the world of international relations and thus complimented knowledge gained from the classroom.
My name is Levi Heath! I am an MAIR student and during summer 2021, I participated in three courses through the 
When studying abroad in Madrid, Spain some of my favorite experiences involved learning about and exploring different cultures within the context of another country. My name is Whitney Welbaum and I am graduating in December 2022. I am majoring in public relations with minors in Spanish and cultural anthropology. I chose to participate in the Madrid Summer Session 2021 to improve my language skills and to learn more about Spanish culture. What I did not expect was to also be able to experience the diversity of different groups of people also living in Madrid from other countries and cultures.
I first learned about the Lavapies neighborhood in my Spanish language and culture class. Lavapies is known as the multicultural neighborhood in Madrid, where you can find people from diverse backgrounds all living in the same area. In my class, we learned about the diversity present in Spain as well as the issues that come up during cross-cultural exchanges. My studies really helped open my eyes to the depth of cultural identities in Spain and how diverse cultures functioned in different contexts. I was also able to explore my own identity as a biracial person, I found it exciting to learn about Chinese communities living in Spain. Exploring my own identity and finding communities that I could directly relate to was a truly enriching and comforting experience.
Some of my favorite memories from my time in Spain are from exploring Lavapies. There were days where I would just wander the streets and alleyways of the neighborhood, stopping by shops that caught my eye. I was able to practice my Spanish with the shop owners while also learning about local artisans. Lavapies was also one of my favorite places to eat lunch or dinner, there was a wide variety of international foods to choose from. I was able to sample Indian, Greek, Japanese, and other international cuisines. I look forward to when I can visit the neighborhood again in the future, it is the type of place that I feel like I can constantly learn more from.