The first Spanish class I ever took was a voluntary afterschool program offered to fifth-graders by three high school girls determined to become teachers. Having just moved to America from Germany earlier that year, I was already aware of the importance of communication, but Spanish was the first language I’d ever had to learn. I was brought up on German and English, and the thought of becoming fluent in this beautiful new tongue fascinated me. As time went on, I fell more and more in love with the Spanish language.
In a perfect world, I decided, I could spend my second year of college in Spain. Macaulay’s mandatory sophomore CHC seminars prevented this dream, so I adjusted my expectations. This summer, in my extended session Intensive Intermediate Spanish class, serendipity made my dream a reality. My teacher handed me a printout of an email from Universidad de la Rioja in Logroño, Spain. It offered a full year’s scholarship including tuition, room, airfare, and medical insurance to a student selected by City College’s Spanish Department. To my amazement, the other teacher that was asked to select someone emailed me later that day. I cried, called my parents, and had a very girlish jumping up and down while screaming moment. Even with Macaulay money, my parents had argued just a week before that they could never afford to send me to Europe for an entire academic year. A few days later, I was approved for postponement of the required CHC seminars.
The Universidad de la Rioja Spanish Language and Culture program is perfect for me because I plan to obtain my Master’s Degree in International Studies-NGO Administration through the Peace Corps Master’s International program. I wish to go to Latin America to accomplish this, and work for an NGO geared toward immigrants’ rights upon my return. The high number of native Spanish speakers in the U.S. makes it much more likely for me to be selected to serve in a Spanish-speaking country if I am fluent in the language. Due to my previous study of the language and the immersion factor of being in Spain, I will be fluent in Spanish by the time I return. This will make me more competitive in the job market and shorten the amount of time it would have taken me to become fluent in the United States. I will be able to start using Spanish the way I use my first two languages, and likely move on to another—maybe Arabic.
Although Spanish is only a minor, going to Universidad de la Rioja is a good academic fit for my International Studies major. The major has a foreign language requirement, and studying abroad is highly encouraged. If I learn as fast as I believe I will, I may be able to spend the last trimester taking classes for native speakers at the university—classes that could transfer as major requirements. I realize that the lack of an international studies focus in this program seemingly hinders my studies at City College. However, I came to City College with 16 credits from accelerated high school classes already under my belt. I will still graduate in 2014 despite my need to catch up on International Studies classes and CHC seminars upon my return. According to City College’s Study Abroad Office, a full year’s credits will transfer after I have completed the program. The exact number of credits and the classes for which they will transfer cannot be determined before I leave because the classes are not posted until after I arrive in Spain.
The culture and language immersion I will experience in Logroño is sure to be one of the best experiences of my life, and the scholarship I received made that possible. Opportunities Fund money for meals, a bus trip, and my German passport are all I need to make this experience even more wonderful and virtually worry-free.
