Name: Jessie Norton ’25
Major: Spanish Education/Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture/Food Studies
Semester abroad: Spring 2023
What was your most valuable experience abroad? My most valuable experience from living in Chile has been the constant immersion in Chilean Spanish, history, and culture. My Spanish fluency has vastly improved from my time abroad, and I have greater confidence while speaking my second language. The class I’m taking with Chilean professor Mauricio Paredes has given me an incredibly eye-opening perspective on Chilean and United States relations, which I plan to carry into my future career as a Spanish teacher. My classes at the Universidad Católica de Chile are alongside Chilean students, one of my favorite parts of the Santiago study abroad program. Throughout my American Anthropology course, I’ve worked alongside a Chilean classmate on a micro-ethnography project, in which we’ve studied a historical café in Santiago called Café Caribe. Through my rock climbing class at the university, I’ve made several Chilean friends, which has helped immensely in improving my Spanish and in getting to know Santiago, Chilean food, and geography.
Contact: jenorton@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Allergies & dietary needs, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, Financing study away
Fitting study abroad into your home campus experience, Health, safety, and support, Living with a host family, Meeting locals, Preparing for departure
Name: Sophia Moore ’25
Major: Television, Radio & Film and Sociology
Semester abroad: Fall 2023
What was your most unforgettable experience abroad? Traveling to Patagonia with the entire SU Santiago cohort was easily the most unforgettable memory of my time in Chile. Being able to learn about the environmental and indigenous issues actively occurring in Patagonia was fascinating, and the ability to see a natural landscape more beautiful than anything I had seen before was extremely emotional. Even though our trip was only four days, I felt connected to the landscape and history we were learning, and have continued to think about my time there long after returning to Santiago and now to the U.S.
Contact: somoore@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, Fitting study abroad into your home campus experience, Health, safety, and support, LGBTQ+, Living with a host family, Meeting locals, Race & Ethnicity, Selecting a program option
Name: Gabriel Calloway ’26
Major: International relations, linguistics
Semester abroad: Buenos Aries Immersion Program 2023, Santiago fall 2023, Santiago spring 2024
What was your most valuable experience abroad? The most valuable experience I gained from studying abroad was learning how to accept my mistakes and move forward in spite of them. Managing the Spanish language in various social, professional, and personal contexts proved to be a constant challenge for me. There were times during the year when I found myself hiding in my room because everything about my new world was so uncomfortable. However, I discovered that the longer you stay away from challenges, the scarier they become. Exposing myself to situations where failure was guaranteed at some point became a necessity for my survival in both school and social life. Through this process, I feel I have advanced in my ability to change my perspective on the world to be one centered around the learning and development of my character, rather than the previously held success versus failure mentality I had.
Contact: gacallow@syr.edu
Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Allergies & dietary needs, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, Financing study away, First time abroad, Fitting study abroad into your home campus experience, Health, safety, and support, LGBTQ+, Living with a host family, Meeting locals, Preparing for departure, Race & Ethnicity, Religious life, Selecting a program option