Spain « OSU Abroad

Madeline Lennon is a Resident Director with IE3 Global in Santander, Spain. Originally from Ireland, Madeline has a passion for travel, adventure and Spanish culture. Using these skills, she helps students studying abroad make unforgettable memories, lifelong friends and develop a love for Spain. Read on to learn more about her exciting position with IE3 Global!

What brought you to be a Resident Director?

I was living and working in Santander, teaching English as a foreign language in the Language centre, Centro de idiomas de la Universidad de Cantabria (CIUC) where the Oregon students have classes. Someone was needed to be the on-site Coordinator, who was based in Santander, was a native speaker of English and interested in working with study abroad students, so that somebody turned out to be me! That was over 10 years ago now and I feel I was really fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time!

What are some unique aspects of your city and country?

I’m actually from a small town in Ireland, and I am still very much Irish at heart! My ‘adopted’ country is Spain. It is a fantastically diverse country; each region has something wonderful to offer, from distinct cuisines and traditions to art, history and architecture. From the smallest village hidden in the mountains to the bigger cities, there really is a lot to see and do and tons to experience! Santander, where our program is based is a really beautiful medium sized city, lying on the north coast on a Peninsula completely surrounded by golden beaches. Inland it’s surrounded by the mountains. It really is picture postcard stuff!! It’s an incredibly easy city to get around in, it’s not too big but, better still, it’s not too small. It has a wonderful lively, compact city centre, with all modern amenities and everything in walking distance. The students reside with families near the centre of town and are also in walking distance from the University.

What I particularly like about the city as a base for a study abroad program is the fact that it is very safe and is not over run with English speakers, like you might find in the larger cities of Madrid, Barcelona or Sevilla. While there are other foreign students around, many from the European Erasmus program, they are also here to immerse themselves in Spanish language and culture. I also love the fact that we have an international airport with low cost flights to many Spanish and European cities. The bus and train system running from Santander is also really good and there are plenty of destinations and combinations to choose from. The program is structured in such a way that students are free to travel most weekends.

What is one thing most of your students may not know about you?

Gosh, difficult question…I have quite a lot of contact with the students, generally seeing them on a daily basis, and over the duration of the program a relationship builds up; we talk quite a lot and do activities and excursions together so I get to know the students quite well and they get to know me. In result, there’s probably not much ‘important’ stuff they don’t know about me. However, I don’t think I have ever mentioned that I came second in the All Ireland under 8’s 80 metre sprint; I was 7 years of age.

What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Resident Director?

My favorite aspect of the job is the interaction with the students and teachers. I have always found that the students who sign up for study abroad programs to be fantastic to work with. I have met so many really nice people over the years; every group is different so it always feels new. I really enjoy forming part of the team.

What are some of the challenges of your job?

This is 10 week intensive immersion program so it is all engines go right from the start. The first week is crucial to a successful program. There is a lot going on and you have to be a step ahead of everything, whilst making sure that everyone is settling in and doing well. I am very fortunate as our students have been well informed and guided by the staff in Oregon before coming here. That really helps making the transition period a lot smoother for everyone.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge for incoming students?

Again while it is true to say ‘Spain is different,’ it is a modern country in the European Union, so I think the initial challenge of deciding which study abroad program to choose and then setting out and organising it! It’s plain sailing after that, at least on the Santander Program.

This immersion program is not just about learning a language though, the students LIVE here for a term and that involves adapting to a new country, language, host family, teachers, classes and timetable to name but a few! All of these are challenges, and while not to be taken lightly, our students rise well to the challenge and by the first week most students have adapted and are living life like the locals. In fact it usually turns out that the biggest challenge the students face is the reality that after 10 weeks the program does comes to an end and they have to go!

What is your advice for students planning to attend your program, or to study abroad in your country?

Be prepared to immerse yourself in all aspects of the program and take advantage of all the opportunities to practice Spanish that come your way. You will learn more Spanish here in one day of class than a week of classes in the States, better still; the classes are only a part of your day. You live with a Spanish family and have Spanish conversation partners, and it’s all in Spanish! It is practically impossible not to greatly improve your language comprehension.

What is one thing you think students shouldn’t forget to pack for life in your country?

A genuine interest in doing a study abroad program and in learning Spanish. On a practical level, comfortable shoes for walking and a rain jacket. On an even more practical level I think less is more when packing, as you might want to pick up some stuff along the way and you’ll need the space to get everything back.

Why do you think is the most important take-away for education abroad students?

To be able to ‘take-away’ you have to also ‘eat-in’. Meaning, to really benefit, you have to give it your best, and really want to make it work. By doing this, students gain on all levels. Academically students obtain a major boost, a fast forward in their language capacity. On a personal level students ‘grow’ and gain more confidence, a better understanding of themselves and others, more insight the world and their relationship with it and their part in it. Study abroad is such a unique experience, something you have to do to really know what it’s like.

To learn more about study abroad programs offered in Spain, click here!

Jeannie Sullivan is a Junior in Agricultural Sciences with a minor in Speech Communication. Last fall, she embarked on the journey of a lifetime with Semester at Sea. Currently an Ambassador for the OSU Office of Global Opportunities, Jeannie is fully versed on how to make the most of a study abroad experience. Read on to learn about her incredible voyage and the opportunities SAS has to offer!

Everyone asks if life on the ship was like “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody” and I always say no, not at all. When we were at sea, we had classes every day. That means we had homework, midterms, and finals to go along with that. When we were in port, we got to go explore the countries and do independent travel. For my program, I was able to see an array of countries. I boarded the ship in London and from there I spent the next three and a half months sailing and having the sea as my campus. The countries that I was able to visit on my voyage were: Russia, Poland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Brazil, Barbados, and Cuba. We were supposed to go to Ghana and Senegal, but since that was during the height of the Ebola crisis, we were rerouted to go back to a different region in Spain and Italy. While I took classes on the ship, I had a required field lab that I went on for each class. These field labs were hands on learning experiences that brought the classroom and reality together. On my voyage, I was able to go hiking and see flamingos in Tuscany for my invasive species lab, learn about the history and architecture of Portugal for my architecture class, learn about Ireland’s health care system and how the LGBT community is treated for my public health class, and learned how history and communication correlate with each other in Russia.

Living on a ship is pretty much like living back in the resident halls. On my voyage, there were a little over 600 students and 150 professors and faculty on board. One thing that I thought was awesome was that the professors and faculty got to bring their families on the ship, so occasionally there were little kids running around, which was always fun and a nice stress reliever. I was always surrounded by people and it was really hard to get quiet time, but it was nice to always be socializing with people at the same time. For my program, I was still meeting people on the last couple days of my voyage. I was able to meet people from all around the States and the world. Being on a ship, I got to see everyone in their best attire, and their not so best attire. So it was always interesting walking around the ship (I always wore orange sparkly slippers when we were on board). With tight quarters, I got to know my professors very well. I loved having lunch or dinner with them. I got to know them on a personal level, and they did not seem as intimidating as they would have back at Oregon State. While living on the ship, I was able to be put into a “family.” This meant that I was grouped with a faculty member and other students. It was nice to be able to have a group to have dinner with, hear their travels, and meet people that I would not have met otherwise.

Being able to go on this voyage was a chance of a lifetime and full of once in a lifetime opportunities. I was able to go to Cuba two weeks before Obama eased the embargo. I learned how to salsa dance from the locals, I got to meet students from The University of Havana, and got to see the site of The Bay of Pigs. I was able to sail down the Amazon River and sip on coconuts on the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema in Brazil. I was able to ride a camel in the Sahara Desert (and it just happened to be a Wednesday when I did that). I was able to experience real Belgium waffles, crepes, pierogis, Brazilian barbeque, and Italy’s pizza and pasta making skills firsthand. I was able to see festivals and listen to local music in Russia and Belgium. I was able to see the filming site of Michael Jackson’s song “They Don’t Care About Us.” I got to overcome my fear of heights by zip lining the boarder from Spain to Portugal. I saw the iconic symbols of Paris and the ruins of Rome. I was able to see a Champion League match between FC Barcelona and Ajax at Camp Nou. But most of all, I was able to meet lifelong friends, see beautiful sunsets and sunrises, whale watch, see pods of dolphins and fly fish, and be able to star gaze while in the middle of the Atlantic and see the end of the Milky Way Galaxy while looking at shooting stars.

I could not find a better program that fit what I wanted to get out of my experience abroad. I wanted to see as many places as possible, learn to put my preconceived notations aside, and to take advantage of once in a lifetime opportunities.

Ryan Lorenz is a travel enthusiast. After his travels to both England and Kenya, his journey lead him to being a Resident Director for IFSA-Butler in Spain. Currently living and working in Barcelona, Spain, Ryan loves to help students fall in love with this unique city.

What brought you to be a Resident Director?
Good fortune! I never planned to work in study abroad, although I was a study abroad student in London back in ’84. That experience opened my eyes to the wider world, and led to my Peace Corps stint in Kenya. From there, it was one small step to being a study abroad director. After 26 years of doing the same I cannot imagine a life different from this one!

What are some unique aspects of your city and country?
Spain is not a nation. It is many! Four distinct nations and languages of which the Spanish language is only one. One can say the same about Barcelona and Catalonia, which is not only Catalan, Spanish and European- but also Chinese, Russian, Pakistani…the whole world lives here! I have lived here for seven years now and still find it complex, interesting and wonderful.

What is one thing most of your students may not know about you?
I have fabulous stamp and comic collections.

What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Resident Director?
My own abroad experiences have transformed my life. I love watching others make the same journey. Feeling like I am part of that change really energizes me.

What are some of the challenges of your job?
Dealing with ignorance and inappropriate behavior. Fortunately this only applies to a few students! The rest are fabulous.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge for incoming students?
Adapting their homegrown expectations to a new cultural environment. That is normal, of course, but slows down their ability to fully comprehend their new and temporary home. I also think that some students have a very short attention span, which is a real handicap when trying to figure out what is going on around you when you understand few if any of the cultural cues.

What is your advice for students planning to attend your program, or to study abroad in your country?
Lower your expectations. Less is more. Better to dig deep than skim the surface…you experience less yet more profoundly.

What is one thing you think students shouldn’t forget to pack for life in your country?
The right attitudes! Flexibility, patience, and a sense of humor.

What do you think is the most important take-away for education abroad students?
No matter how much you think you know, you in fact know very little. Learning is constant and continuous.

To learn more about going abroad at OSU, check out this link!

Annie Kornberg, a senior studying Human Development and Family Sciences in the college of Public Health and Human Sciences, spent Winter and Spring term of her Junior year living in Salamanca, Spain. She studied through Academic Programs International. However small the city may be, she found herself wrapped up in its magic. Upon returning to Oregon State University, she added a Spanish minor, and has started to consider making travel part of her future career.

While getting ready to study abroad, I had a list of a few “must-sees” in Europe. I had a mediocre bucket list of things to do in Spain, a “Travel” Pinterest board, and even a journal entry describing what I wanted to experience while abroad. Within 10 minutes of actually being in Spain, I thought to myself: There goes the bucket list. It only took me that long to realize this adventure would be nothing like I had planned.

My host family was one of a kind. I lived in a three story upright apartment, with my “grandma” and “sister” on the first floor, my “aunt” and “cousins” on the second, and my “brother” and I on the third. We were the definition of unconventional, and I loved every second of it. Between family nap-times, and three hour lunches where we laughed until we cried, I felt right at home. Instead of my perfect, list-oriented plan for my study abroad experience, I spent my days wandering from one interest to another. I would walk down the streets of Salamanca, Spain hopping in and out of every store, making small talk with every store clerk who seemed friendly enough to struggle through my broken Spanish. I spent my weekends taking nearly unplanned trips with friends to different countries, getting lost and following every recommendation of restaurant or sight to see. On one particular weekend, four friends and I traveled to the southeast of Spain, to a town called Valencia. Originally, we had no plans, except to see the festival called “Las Fallas”. On a whim, and also because it sounded so cool, we spent the night in a glass tunnel that cut through the middle of a shark tank. That definitely was not on my bucket list; however the experience and excitement of it all made me feel more alive than anything I had pinned to a Pinterest board or planned in advance.

The rest of my trip was pretty much the same; I traveled from one place to another seeing what I could see, and experiencing what I could experience. Somewhere in my five months abroad, I heard the quote “The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see” by Gilbert K. Chesterton. I realized that not only was I learning about culture, people, and practicing a new language, I was learning to be a traveler and not a tourist. No, that does not mean when I visited France, I avoided the Eiffel Tower, or that I never stepped foot in the Coliseum while in Rome. In fact, I loved visiting those places! Learning to be a traveler meant taking my time visiting a place and seeing what I could see, planned or unplanned. I learned to embrace cultures fully, to try new things and to be comfortable in new or unusual situations. Traveling the world does not stop when you’ve come home, either. Sometimes I still find myself wandering around Corvallis, seeing what I can see.

My advice to you? Never stop traveling.

Alexsandra Dos Reis is an international student from Brazil currently studying at Oregon State. During Summer 2012, Alexsandra studied at la Universidad de Salamanca through the Academic Programs International’s (API) Spanish Language and Culture Program. At Oregon State, Alexsandra is majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) and has a minor in Spanish.

In the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain. This is one of the best choices I have ever made. I was able to learn Spanish and visit so many places in Spain that I could only dream of. From the city of Madrid to the warm blue oceans of Cadiz, Spain was incredible. Not only was I able to be in Spain, but I chose the perfect summer to go. While I was in Spain, the Eurocup was going on as well; this made my experience so much more worthwhile.

In Madrid, Spain I got to step right smack dab in the middle of the country. This was part of Puerta del Sol or “Gate of the Sun”—one of the best and busiest places in Madrid, where many events are held for the city.

Cadiz, Spain was one of the most beautiful places we visited. The entire city looked like a blank white canvas with all the white buildings. The ocean was the warmest ocean I have ever been in and I never wanted to leave. This was just one of the many different wonderful places we visited, but definitely my favorite.

One of the most amazing things that I saw every day for two months living in Salamanca was the new cathedral that is connected to the old one. Every city had a cathedral which was the tallest building and this one was the most beautiful. I was able to visit inside and go on top to view the city. Being able to see this every morning when I woke up was the best part of my day.

I’m so happy that I studied abroad in Spain while the Eurocup was happening. I have never felt so part of the community. The celebration was incredible. It didn’t matter who you were, where you were or what you were doing. You could hear fireworks and people celebrating everywhere. You felt as one, even with strangers. Soccer and especially the Eurocup is such a big part of Spanish culture and if you don’t enjoy it, you will after you leave.

Since I decided to study abroad during the summer, everyone in Spain was on summer vacation. All the students that were attending school were students that were studying abroad too, so the structure of school was a little different. School was great, it would start at 8 AM but you would be done for the day by 1 PM. I was able to learn a lot because the teachers were all native Spanish speakers and were able to work so well with all of us learning the language. I learned a lot especially in understanding Spanish. My speaking skills did improve, but not as much as I had hoped.

A part of it was the program I went to study abroad with. I studied abroad with Academic Program International (API) and this included about 20 students from the U.S. I feel that we as a group were together a lot and actually did not speak much Spanish to each other. This really affected learning more Spanish because speaking English was the easy way out for all of us.

Another part that really affected learning to speak more Spanish was that I went to study abroad with a native Spanish speaking friend. Though I loved experiencing everything with a friend the most important part was improving my Spanish and this was a bad choice on my part. I ended up relying on her a lot when shopping or trying to communicate with other people, even our host mother.

I was not only able to improve my Spanish while living there, I learned so much about the culture and how it is so different than the U.S. Being born in Brazil, living in the United States and studying abroad in Spain, I got to learn a lot and compare all three. The relaxed feeling of the culture in Spain and all their siestas (naps) was so comforting. It just seemed like everyone there took the time to do their work, but to enjoy life and all the simple things. It seemed to be the same in Brazil. In the U.S. everyone seems like they are always rushing or have something to do and it is so stressful even if you are not that person. Being in a community where everyone takes the time for everything was relaxing and very stress free.

Malorie Reimer is an International Ambassador for the International Degree and Education Abroad office. Malorie is studying Environmental Economics and Policy as well as Business and Entrepreneurship. She recently returned from studying abroad with Semester at Sea, where she visited eight different countries.

Upon returning after studying abroad with Semester at Sea, I was frequently asked some form of the same question: “How was your cruise?” or “Didn’t you go on some boat trip this summer?” Yes, I was on a large, cruise-like ship, but what people don’t realize is that it is basically a floating University. While holding around 550 students, the ship sent us across the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and back during the span of two months. Visiting eight different countries allowed me to really experience the multi-cultural world we live in. I’ll be frank: this trip did include some lounging in the sun on the back deck, but often times it included studying and reading textbooks for upcoming midterms or finals.

In the nine classrooms and one major lecture hall there were over twenty different classes offered. The classrooms seemed similar to a regular classroom, but when I looked out the window there was open ocean instead of trees and land. With the small class sizes, I was really able to make the most out of my time. Since I was constantly afloat, I thought it would be beneficial to take a Marine Biology class to learn more about the ocean below me. Learning the scientific names of 50 marine organisms helped me identify the diverse sea-life around me. Out of the many things I saw in the ocean, the most interesting was a flying fish. It is a fish that shoots out and soars above water for sometimes 30 seconds in order to escape predators. Snorkeling in multiple countries was another highlight and allowed me to immerse myself with the sea-life and study their ecosystems.

It was when I was sitting in the water of Croatia with snorkeling gear on when I realized something; I was getting credit for learning hands-on skills that I was really interested in. This snorkeling and kayaking trip was part of a requirement in each course which is called a field lab. A field lab is a partial day that is spent with the entire class and led by a professor. In certain countries, you either visit a specific monumental location or engage in an activity that connects with what you are studying in class. These field labs often included going places that will enhance understanding in the classroom. Seeing and engaging with your coursework is much more intriguing than only reading about it in textbooks.

My second field lab was in Turkey for Developmental Economics. The most interesting part of this excursion is when we went to the oldest mall in the world, the Grand Bazaar. I was below the roof of what James Bond rode atop on a motorcycle in the opening scene of Skyfall. My mind was blown while I was in this fifteenth century structure that has 58 covered streets, hundreds of domes and 4,000 shops. While shopping and observing market interactions I was also learning about the Economics of Istanbul. This style of hands-on learning and interacting with the shop owners allowed me to expand my knowledge about economics and really dive into the culture of Turkey.

One other thing that made this ‘cruise’ into an academic voyage was the incredible individuals teaching on the ship. Not only were they great teachers inside the classroom, but they were great people outside of the classroom. Eating in the same dining room, bumping into them in port and getting to go on trips that they led allowed me to connect with the great professors. That casual connection made it easy to speak with and listen to advice from them. My economics professor remains a main pivotal point in my college career for changing my major. His kindness mixed with his different way of teaching and thinking about economics transformed what I wanted to do at Oregon State University. Another great experience that allowed me to connect with the faculty was going on a faculty-led trip with an Archeology professor that had an extensive knowledge about the ruins of Troy. His expertise allowed for a much more rewarding trip. The passion that these professors had for education and expanding my knowledge made this voyage a special and unforgettable experience.

Along with the amazing professors, I spent my time growing closer to the wonderful shipboard community. I like to refer to all the students on the ship as my SAS family. We were all there for the same reason: to discover the world. This common goal of wanting to see and experience the world made it easy to bond and make new friends with the students on board. Students on the ship came from all over the United States as well as other countries around the world; just being on the ship was a new cultural experience. I had to adapt to the wide diversity I encountered on the ship. My roommate from North Carolina (pictured on the right) taught me much about the American South. I also learned a lot about Central America from my neighbors down the hall. The ship culture, mixed with the diverse cultures I encountered at each port, encouraged much self-reflection and personal growth.

No matter if I was in Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Croatia, or Turkey, the words “just a cruise” never crossed my mind. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about those two most amazing and impactful months of my life. All the hard work that it took in order to go on this experience proved more than worthwhile. Although I may have spent a good amount of Euro, Lira, Dirham and Kuna on amazing food, souvenirs, and transportation, I wouldn’t take back a penny of it if it meant I would lose my many amazing memories of Semester at Sea. So now when people ask me about my ‘cruise,’ I chuckle to myself and respond with a short explanation of how it was, while realizing that no one can understand how truly amazing my experience with Semester at Sea was until they do it themselves.

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Tag Archives: Spain

Meet a Resident Director: Madeline Lennon

The Voyage of a Lifetime

Meet a Resident Director: Ryan

Learning to Travel

Summer in Salamanca, Spain

Academic Voyage with Semester at Sea

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