¡Hola todos! My name is Lauren Valadez, I am a junior and I had the amazing opportunity of studying abroad in Santiago, Chile the semester of fall 2025. The fall program was so great that once I returned from abroad, I added a Spanish minor to my anthropology major. I decided on this program because I wanted to improve my Spanish skills, which I definitely did, and take advantage of the smaller cohort size in Santiago. I also decided to participate in the signature seminar in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which I thought was a perfect way to transition into the abroad program.
It was very important for me to take advantage of Syracuse’s amazing abroad programs because before going to Argentina, I had never left the country. It was a bit intimidating being in a country that looked and sounded so different than what I was used to but after a short time I realized that with a little bit of effort I could fit right in! While in Buenos Aires, my cohort of 6 took a Spanish class that taught us a concise overview of Argentinean history which we all found to be both extremely informative and fun. After our class, we would often walk to a nearby café for lunch then continue walking around the gorgeous city until our legs got too tired. We would then return to our host families for dinner and do it over the next day!
While in Santiago, Chile our cohort grew to 8 people but with a cohort so small, we ended up becoming very close friends. We all took classes at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a highly ranked university in all of South America, where we were welcomed with so many other abroad students from all over the world. While taking classes at two campuses, we had built in travel days to Valparaiso and Patagonia. Along with that, I and other students decided to use our free time and travel to the Atacama Desert, Uruguay, Pichilemu, Puerto Varas, and even Rio de Janeiro. Living in the longest country meant that there was so much to explore right in Chile, which we all took advantage of.
Another plus in this program is that it is very clear that we were put into amazing hands. The staff in both Buenos Aires and Santiago were very helpful and very friendly. We were warmly welcomed by the staff in Argentina and were able to see the ways a local Porteño lived day to day. It was very evident that the staff knew how valuable this time was for students and made it their mission to give us significant and educational experiences. While in Chile, the start of our 5 month stay was made easy thanks to the staff. They made it clear that they would always be available for us and with the program director also teaching two classes, we were able to build a strong relationship with him and found his guidance useful throughout the semester.
This program is incredible and I could not recommend it enough. Living like a local, traveling and being in a different hemisphere, along with learning and speaking Spanish everyday was such a unique experience that I would not have found anywhere else. I instantly loved Buenos Aires and Santiago and still feel that they are my second home. There were so many things that I learned and experienced while being abroad that I still cherish and remember fondly today.
Lauren Valadez ’27
Santiago Center, fall 2025
Anthropology major, Spanish minor