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.
Whitney Welbaum ’22
Syracuse Madrid Summer Session
Hi! My name is Ezra James Capiral, and I studied abroad in London during the Spring 2020 semester. I’m a Television, Radio & Film major and will be graduating in Spring 2021. My time abroad was nothing short of life-changing. I seriously cannot think of another adjective to describe it, because that word so accurately describes my experience. Even though I was only abroad for a couple of weeks, and was cut short due to the virus outbreak, I made the most of my time abroad and do not regret the time I chose to do so.
Living on my own with no meal plan meant having to buy my own groceries and cook for myself, which in turn would also save money since eating out every day would not be within my budget. Taking public transportation every day to get to class and simply get around London was something I had to learn as well but after only a week or so, the Tube proved very easy to navigate.
In terms of academics, I can definitely say I was the most invested in my classes abroad than I have been throughout my time at SU. What I enjoyed most about my course schedule is the fact that at least half of the classes require you to venture outside the classroom, thus allowing learning through cultural immersion and exploration. While some of these field trips were led by the professor, a lot of them actually required you to travel on your own time, gather the information that you learn, and then report to the classroom the next day about your findings. Each day, and each week, I was constantly inspired by the academic material, and how interactive learning was highly encouraged through personal exploration and engaging conversations inside and outside the classroom.
Ciao, my name is John Mazza! I am a junior civil engineering major and studied abroad in Florence in the spring of 2020. The beginning of my abroad experience was incredible because I participated in the 
¡Hola! My name is Miranda Carlo, I am a junior at Syracuse University, majoring in International Relations and I will be graduating in the fall of 2021 semester. I studied abroad during my spring semester of 2020 in a Syracuse Abroad program in Santiago, Chile. I always knew, since high school, that I wanted to study abroad and that is one of the reasons why I chose Syracuse University. After I researched the different programs that Syracuse offers, I was between the World Partner program in Brazil and the Syracuse abroad program in Chile. I was debating between these two because I knew I wanted to go to South America, but the Chile program is completely taught in Spanish and Brazil is in English. I was extremely nervous and not confident at all with my Spanish, but I ultimately chose Chile because I really wanted to learn the language. In addition, this program has many other cool aspects such as the Signature Seminar and the Cuenca Immersion program in Ecuador. In addition, this program works very well with my major, all the classes I took were able to count for my major. I was not only studying cultures and politics that I was interested in but also allowed me to advance my academic progress.
Since my program was cut very short due to COVID-19, the majority of my semester abroad was spent in Cuenca, Ecuador for the immersion program. This part of the program is only required if you do not have all the necessary levels of Spanish completed and, as a sophomore, I knew I wanted to do this program to improve my Spanish for Chile. My cohorts and I took one Spanish class and did so many awesome activities set up by CEDEI (the school name in Ecuador) such as cooking classes, dance classes and long day trips on the weekends, my favorite one was when we hiked a mountain. We all had so much fun and were able to become more confident in using our Spanish.
I truly changed as a person from when I studied abroad. It was the first time I traveled by myself and I had to adapt to a lot of new situations that I have never experienced before. I feel like I have become more independent, less insecure and more confidant that I can handle uncomfortable situations. Overall, I always considered myself a pretty open-minded person who understand all different opinions and aspects of life; however, studying abroad has opened my eyes to so many new, ideas and perspectives that I would never have thought of before. I have never had so much fun learning and becoming a better version of myself.
There were many factors that led me to choose to study abroad in Madrid. I wanted to go to a program by myself (my roommates went to Florence) where I could make new friends and have my own experience. I also wanted to go a country that was warm and in Western Europe, so I could travel around that area more accessibly. Spain happened to check all of those boxes, which made it the perfect place for me to go.
My second class was Sociology of Sports. As a huge sports fan myself it was incredible learning about Spanish specific sports and their role in the global world. Because class sizes are small and tight knit over the summer, I became very close friends with my classmates. Since the class was small, our discussions became much more in-depth and were tailored to our specific interests in sports. My favorite part was the different field trips we would take, once we went to the park to observe the various fitness activities of people and another for another trip, we analyzed a soccer match.
Having the opportunity to study in another country, no matter the length, is always a worthwhile experience. You will constantly be learning as much about yourself as you will your host country. This was an experience that I would not have given up for the world, and it continues to push me out of my comfort zone to this day. With Spain down, and only 99 countries left to visit, and I know whatever country I end up in next will be exciting.
Hello! My name is Grace Landis and I am a senior at the University of Southern California, graduating in Spring 2021. I am double majoring in Psychology and The Classics, with a minor in Performance Science. I chose to go abroad with Syracuse Florence because I love Italy and the program has a variety of courses related to The Classics and art. I also have a familial connection with the program as my mom and aunt also studied abroad with Syracuse Florence! Living in Italy was the perfect opportunity to practice my Italian and to study some of the most beautiful pieces of art.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 my study abroad experience was cut short, but it showed me how important it is to make as many memories as possible while abroad because you never know what could happen. Florence is one of my favorite places in the world and I can’t wait to go back and visit my host family again. My study abroad experience showed me that I truly love traveling and I love Europe so I plan to go back as soon as I can and hopefully I will be able to live there in the future.
I knew that I wanted to study abroad in Sydney, Australia before I knew where I wanted to go to college. I love to travel, am an adventure-seeker, and had heard nothing but amazing things about the city from people who had studied there in years prior. This is where I was going and nothing could change that – not where my friends were going, not where my academic advisor advised me to go, and not the fact that I would be across the world with a 16-hour time change from my home. On January 1, 2020, I got off the plane in Sydney, Australia and never looked back. After close to three months of experiencing pure happiness, I truly understood why people say to “go with your gut.”
Hi all! I’m Caroline, a senior at Colgate University where I major in Religion and minor in Economics. In the fall of 2019, I was fortunate enough to participate in Syracuse Abroad’s Exploring Central Europe semester program. The focus of this program was history, memory, and identity. We studied Central Europe through these lenses, looking at its early history through now with a special focus on the Holocaust and the Soviet regime. As a non-Syracuse student, I was initially nervous about joining a group of mostly Syracuse classmates; however, I found that before even arriving at our destination, after 18 hours and 3 airports, I felt like I had known my new friends for months.
My semester abroad left me with countless memories, lessons, and reflections. I gained an independence I had previously thought impossible; some of my best memories are from simply strolling through Wroclaw and seeing where I’d end up. My favorite places I ended up, for that matter, were Cathedral Island (or Ostrow Tumski), Kolekwojo, and Vinyl Cafe. I was able to enjoy trips outside of Wroclaw on the signature seminar and on my own to Nice, Barcelona, Oslo, and Dresden, which I loved, but I also learned that there is nothing quite like feeling at home in a new place. I truly felt as though I belonged in Wroclaw after just a few weeks of studying in cafes, exploring the Market Square, and navigating the metro with my classmates. Wroclaw is an amazing city with plenty to offer, particularly once the Christmas Markets open up and the smell of mulled wine, waffles, and kielbasa fills the air. I will forever be thankful for the semester I spent there and the wonderful people I befriended during that time.
My name is Olivia Ly and I am majoring in public relations with a minor in psychology. I went aboard my second semester, junior year. I chose Syracuse London, as it was easy to take classes towards my major, allowed me to pursue an internship, and enroll in a signature seminar to start my program. The staff at Syracuse London were great. The professors were invested in not only our academics but also how we adjusted to London. In almost every class the professors would give some sort of advice on travel and places to visit in London. Syracuse London worked with me to give me a great work, academic, and life balance, I would attend classes Monday and Tuesday, intern on Wednesday and Thursday and was able to travel and explore Friday to Sunday. London is such a diverse city that it truly has something for everyone. It is very easy to travel to different countries and explore other parts of England.
During my time in London I interned at Matter Of Form, a luxury brand, design and eCommerce agency. The agency worked for clients such as, Breitling, Knight Frank and Estée Lauder. Having an internship abroad taught me about a global workplace. I was able to develop as a professional while also learning how offices in London differed from that of the U.S. The contacts and skills I gained have given me further insight into the career I wish to pursue after graduation. I would work every Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 to 5:30, which allowed me to commute like a local and really understand what it was like to work in London. My coworkers were able to give me travel recommendation and places in London to further explore. Mater Of Form, had a great office environment, and would often attend agency events during and after work.