Santiago Global Ambassadors

Name: Nicolas Perez ’24

Major: International Relations

Semester abroad: Spring 2023

What would you tell a student before studying abroad in Chile? 

I would give students three main topics to keep in mind if they would like to study abroad in Santiago and/or Buenos Aires.

1. Talk as much Spanish as you can! You definitely will say certain things wrong, and it’s sometimes nerve-wracking making sure you’re using the right verbs or tenses, etc. but people appreciate you trying. Your host family and staff at SU abroad are there to help you hone your Spanish and will make corrections in a way that won’t discourage you from speaking. Speaking is the best way to learn a new language, so make sure to take advantage of it!

2. Be open to trying new things! Before this trip, I definitely was not a nature person nor a hiking person, but soon after realizing that Chile has beautiful national parks and mountain ranges I decided to try something new with a friend that loves the outdoors. I visited multiple national parks, both in the south of Chile, and they were gorgeous! I also hiked up an inactive volcano named Volcán Osorno and the view was unbelievable. Going outside my comfort-zone gave me all these amazing experiences, so try your best to open yourself up to new and exciting things!

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Being in a foreign country with an entirely different language comes with some new challenges and that oftentimes can affect your academics (especially if you are taking classes only in Spanish). The professors here, as well as Mauricio and Paula are super open to helping and supporting you in any way. For example, you could receive help with writing essays, learning how to integrate more onto campus, and basically anything else! Don’t let questions and anxieties pile up when the program has a built in support system for you to use!

Contact: nperez07@syr.edu

Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, First time abroad, Health, safety, and support, LGBTQ+, Living with a host family, Race & Ethnicity


Name: Jennifer Diaz ’23 (fall)

Major: Environment, Sustainability, Policy and Geography

Semester abroad: Spring 2023

What advice would you give to a student studying abroad? Do not hesitate to try something completely new! This can be taken in any aspect whether it’s the food, cultural activities, or new hobbies picked up in your host country. It’s so important to pay attention to your daily life in your host country in order to realize how different, or similar, their traditions are and the significance of these traditions. I’m Bolivian-American and I would even find a variety of differences within my culture and the Chilean one even though these countries border one another! The only way to learn more about cultures is to be fully immersed in them, therefore exploring all parts of the very navigable city of Santiago would be an amazing experience. Take advantage of this opportunity to be fully immersed in Chilean society!

Contact: jdiaz25@syr.edu

Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Selecting a program option, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, First time abroad, LGBTQ+, Living with a host family, Meeting locals, Preparing for departure, Race & Ethnicity


sophie in chileName: Sophie Clinton ’24 G’25

Major: Political Science

Semester abroad: Spring 2022

What was your most valuable experience abroad? From the experiences I’ve had so far in Santiago, my experiences working as an intern have been the most valuable to me. For the past few months, I’ve been working at the Museum of Human Rights and Memory in Santiago. This museum is dedicated to educating people on the history of the Pinochet military dictatorship (1973-1990), its impact on Chile in general, and remembering the disappeared, executed, and tortured. My work as an intern so far has been to help create a course on the preventino of genocide. I am currently working closely with the director of training and content at the museum, as well as three Chilean attorneys, to create and structure the course to be as engaging and effective as possible. The most valuable experiences I’ve had while in Chile have been talking with my fellow interns and other employees of the museum about the importance of educating people on dangerous and scary history so that it does not repeat itself. Being able to have these conversations in Spanish with my colleagues and them being open to talk to me about these topics has been so beautiful.

Contact: sclinton@syr.edu

Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion


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: Tanya Cervantes ‘24

Major: Secondary Spanish Education

Semester abroad: Spring 2023

What was your most valuable experience abroad? My most valuable experience was definitely visiting the small town of Llico with my host family! It was a wonderful experience where I got to connect with my host family and really experience Chilean culture through a vacation. I got to walk along the seaside, taste fresh seafood that my host dad made, and learn more about my host mom’s family! I got to experience how people live in different parts of Chile as well, since Llico is about four hours south of Santiago, where I was staying. The life there is very different to the bustling atmosphere of the city. It was a very peaceful getaway in the countryside amidst a busy semester.

Contact: tgcervan@syr.edu

Topics I’m comfortable discussing: Staying in touch with friends & family, Adjusting to a foreign language, Cultural Immersion, Culture shock / Homesickness, Health, safety, and support, LGBTQ+, Living with a host family, Preparing for departure, Race & Ethnicity


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