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Hola! I’m Jennifer Diaz and as I’m writing this I’m still in Santiago, Chile during the spring 2023 semester! My major is Environment, Sustainability, Policy and Geography and I chose to study abroad during my second year at Syracuse University. I decided to study in Santiago because of the immense amount of geography courses that were offered and, of course, to immerse myself in Latin American culture while improving my Spanish.

As a first generation Bolivian-American student at Syracuse University, I practically jumped at the chance to study abroad in Chile as it is one of the very few programs that are offered and I am honestly so grateful to have put my fears aside to immerse myself in a Latin American culture different from my own.

I’ve always spoken Spanish but I really wanted to improve my Spanish in a more grammatical context as well as speaking more confidently and after more than 5 months, I’ve seen nothing but improvement. I really haven’t ever taken any language classes in high school or college so I have always struggled with reading and writing in Spanish (besides when I text my parents!) but this opportunity to go abroad was a huge learning experience and immensely improved my Spanish in so many ways.

About the program

Currently, we are approaching our finals season at the university that we attend in Chile called Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. My mom was so excited for me to start school here because this is easily one of the best universities in all of South America. One of my favorite classes is Rural Geography because of what I want to do in the future which is to someday give back to countries with poor, rural populations that suffer in an economic, societal, and environmental aspect. In class we went into depth about rural communities in South America which was so interesting and significant to my learning experience in Chile.  

Most classes are at Campus San Joaquin which is an enormous and beautiful campus with so many places just to hang out with friends but also great places to study! I have also found myself at Campus Oriente very often when I would have weekly meetings with one of our program advisors Paula to go over Spanish lessons and honestly just talk to Paula about my week!

One of my favorite things about Santiago is that the program advisors, Mauricio Paredes and Paula, are seriously so kind and very dependable on quite literally everything while studying abroad. They are super dependable and will never make you feel bad about asking for help on whatever it is! During my first month in Chile, I attended Dr. Paredes’ dictatorship class, offered by the program, based on Chilean’s history during Pinochet’s dictatorship which was very enlightening because I never really heard about this until I was in his class and it is a very important part of Chilean culture.

Program Travel

The Santiago program allowed us to visit beautiful places in Chile ranging from all the way in the Northern cities to the Southern tip of the country. With Paula and Mauricio, we have visited Puerto Natales and the Patagonia region, Valparaiso, and San Pedro de Atacama throughout the semester! I can definitely see myself visiting in the future. These are also the places where we spent the most time with the other students in our program and it was very fun sharing these moments together. In addition to this, there are so many places to visit in Chile such as Puerto Varas where my friends and I traveled together to see and walk on a volcano (Volcán Osorno) which is something I never would have seen myself doing. We did lots of hiking during our time in Chile and I also went rafting for the very first time. There are so many nature activities to do in all of the country, my love for nature sparked anywhere I visited in Chile from the infamous desert in San Pedro de Atacama and the waterfalls in Puerto Varas (Saltos de Petrohué).

Apart from traveling within the country, I’ve also enjoyed traveling outside of Chile. The beginning of our program, we arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina and had a three-week signature seminar there and learned about Argentine history and culture which was very meaningful. At the same time, we had so much time to explore this unique city and taste their delicious food. I felt so grateful to have met people I’ll always keep in contact with even though I was only in Argentina for three weeks. During Holy week at U. Catolica, everybody in our program took advantage of traveling outside of the country since this would take longer than traveling within Chile.

At home in Santiago

In Chile, the program sets us up to live with host families and I think this experience also made my time abroad so much better. Since I’m latina, I really do enjoy eating dinner together and sharing with huge families along with discussing all the chismes (drama) with my host mom! Along with helping me navigate myself around the city, my host family truly showed they cared for me and wanted me to have the best time in Chile. They are always so excited to introduce me to anything within Chilean culture, living with my host family allowed me to truly immerse myself in their culture. I was invited to their grandchild’s first birthday party, I just know I will be in contact with them even after I go back home. They have always made me feel so welcomed into their home, and for that I will always appreciate their kindness during these five and a half months.

There is so much to say about my experience in Chile, so much has happened in the time I’ve been here. I’ve met so many wonderful Chilean people and even other international students at U. Catolica and have made memorable experiences with the people in my program from Syracuse whom I will see again in the fall.

Although I am still in Chile, I’ve already reached the point where I am feeling that I will genuinely miss this country so much and the life that I have lived for five and a half months. In two weeks when I step in the plane back home I will be excited to see my loved ones from the states, however I will also be eternally grateful to have studied and lived in this country. It is something I never expected I would do however I am sure it is one of the experiences that will resonate with me for the rest of my life.

Hi there! My name is Jennie Bull, and I am a rising senior studying Marketing and Retail Management with a concentration in Fashion and Beauty Communications. I am currently abroad in Tokyo, Japan taking language and culture courses. As a business major, interested in the intersection of fashion and emerging technologies, Japan was the perfect option for me. Tokyo is a constant explosion of creativity and innovation, and I am so grateful to be here!

Not only am I taking courses here at Waseda University, I also recently started as an Editorial Intern for the Tokyo-based alternative culture and fashion publication, GATA Magazine. Here, I have been able to expand my interests in digital communications and art direction, under the mentorship of inspiring creatives.

Initially, I was nervous to come to Japan, mostly because I didn’t know Japanese, but also because very few people from Syracuse do this program. However, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. Knowing very few people beforehand, I was forced to step out of my comfort zone; through my university, internship, and experiences, I met so many people from all over the world that have made my abroad journey.

Additionally, even though my language skills were very minimal, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning Japanese and connecting with locals, everyone has been so lovely and helpful, making me feel very welcome in such a foreign environment.

It has truly been an honor to be exposed to the way of life here and witness firsthand the respect and pride that the Japanese public has for their country. The systems put in place are extremely efficient, it almost feels as though I am living in the future! Because of the phenomenal transportation here, I have been lucky enough to travel through various prefectures and explore the rich culture that Japan has to offer.

Beyond the bustling city life, Japan is full of beautiful nature and quaint towns full of personality. I will never forget the people I’ve met, the things I’ve experienced, and the places I’ve been to during my time in Japan, I will cherish these memories forever.

Studying abroad has opened my eyes up to the possibility of working internationally after graduation. I have grown to love exploring different cultures and environments, meeting people from all walks of life. This world has so much to offer, and I never want to limit myself; after living in Japan for 5 months I have garnered such an appreciation for the little things, the things that make us uniquely human.

I have learned so much about myself and have witnessed immense growth not just internally, but in the ways that I present myself as a global citizen. My time here has given me a whole new perspective on life, and I can’t wait to see where the next phase of this journey takes me!

Jennie Bull ’24

Marketing & Retail Management

Waseda University Spring 2023

My name is Gabriella Terry, and I studied abroad in Madrid during fall of 2022 as a freshman in Syracuse University’s Discovery Program. I am currently studying environmental engineering and graduating in the class of 2026. The idea of studying abroad in your first semester of your freshman year can seem pretty intimidating at first, but I can easily say that it was an unforgettable experience that I am incredibly grateful for.

As discovery students in Madrid, our first big adventure is our Discovery Seminar to the historic and beautiful Spanish city of Toledo. Here, our program leaders and First Year Seminar professors took us through unique ways to explore the city while simultaneously getting us students to know each other better through activities including a sword-making class and city-wide scavenger hunt. We would also later have two more required class trips throughout our semester: one to the southern side of Spain in Sevilla, and the other up north to the city of Leon. These trips allowed us to see more of the country and learn more about Spain’s rich history.

Back in Madrid, our classes were very small allowing us to make closer bonds to our professors. My favorite class in Madrid was our ECS class where our professor would sometimes surprise us with goods from his favorite local bakery. Our professors as well as the Madrid Center staff were always, always there to talk to us, hear us out, and help us in any way they could and ensured that we were always having a positive experience.

The staff also arranged free weekly activities, or MadWorld events, that students could sign up for in order to explore the city through events such as neighborhood walking tours, day trips, local-led yoga classes, Spanish cooking classes, and Tapas crawls. These were super popular during my time there, and really fun ways to spend weekends, or even as mid-week breaks.

I also got the opportunity to live in a homestay, where I lived with my roommate and our host mom. This was a really immersive experience and great way to live as a local among locals. She answered all our questions, taught us everything she could about Spain and the neighborhood we lived in, took us to her favorite local spots and neighborhoods (by walking of course as most Spaniards prefer this method of transportation), and was always just a really supportive and great figure to have while adjusting to the new country.

My host mom and I still keep in touch to this day and I am very grateful I get to now call her my friend :). Outside of classes, we were also able to travel throughout Europe and anywhere we wished to on our own. Thus throughout my time abroad, I was able to visit countries like France and Germany.

These experiences really sparked my love for travel, and have contributed to my ambitions of wanting to travel the globe with my career. I learned so much about Spain and myself during my few short months in Madrid, and have come back home with an incredibly open-mindset that has shaped my outlook on life and the world.

¡Gracias y deseo que decidan estudiar con SU Abroad pronto!