Law Internships in Valparaiso

Having studied in Madrid the previous semester I really wanted to come back and have a different type of work experience during the summer. I enjoyed the laid back environment of my internship with Fundación Tríangulo yet I gained valuable insight about public health and sexual health in Spain, among many other skills which will benefit my future career/studies. I did enjoy the centrality of our apartment but it was quite small, I know this is normal for Madrid, but I we did not exactly have private living spaces. I really love Madrid and the availability of outdoor activities, shopping, diverse food choices, the kind people, nightlife, and much more. It will stay in my heart forever, the memories, friends, education and work experience, and I hope to return soon.

I spent the summer in Barcelona shadowing psychologists at an assisted living residence. My coworkers were kind and helpful, and the patients were charming and sweet. The local program advisor was very helpful to me and my friends in the program anytime we needed anything. I also completed 2 weeks of Spanish classes prior to my internship. My Spanish improved tremendously, as did my professional skills. I feel that this program exceeded my expectations and helped to prepare me for a career in psychology. In addition to this, Barcelona was just an incredible city with so much life and character--I never ran out of things to do or places to see.

I had an incredible experience with Adelante Abroad in Barcelona. I did a gap year after high school and had the time of my life. The team gave me lots of support leading up to my departure. Someone came and picked me up from the airport and toke me to my accommodation which was in a very central, safe area! The Spanish school was great and I made lots of friends which I stayed close to for my whole time in Barcelona. My internship itself was better than I could have ever asked for. The office was incredible and I loved the team I worked with. I learned new skills and I met people that will become lifelong friends. Overall, I truly had the experience of a lifetime. Barcelona has become a second home to me and I could not be more grateful for my time there! 10/10 experience and highly recommend.

I enjoyed my time in Barcelona very much. I was ecstatic to get there and start. When I first started it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Nonetheless, I enjoyed every minute of it. I have made some dear friends. I can say I will be back in Barcelona. I would recommend Adelante. Without them, none of this would have been possible. Spain in general is beautiful, but Barcelona has to be my favorite. It has everything. From mountains, oceans, beaches, forests, etc. They have the cold, breezy weather and the hot, humid weather.

I did a legal internship in Oaxaca for three months with Adelante and it exceeded my expectations. I met the best people and lived in a great location with a kind host family and the best internship placement. My spanish has definitely improved thanks to the spanish lessons at the beginning as well as all the other people I met including those at my internship who were very patient and taught me a lot of legal and complex terms. If you are independent and enjoy exploring the city and having great opportunities for cultural immersion and meeting new people this is definitely a great program and excellent value for money. It really helped with my university application and I will definitely be returning to Oaxaca!

I lived in Viña del Mar and worked in Valparaíso for 3 months. I thoroughly enjoyed where I worked - I had great coworkers, learned quite a bit about Chilean business law, was able to see how a business incubator works, and put my Spanish to use daily. It was really a fantastic work opportunity, and I am happy to have done it. The only negatives regarding this program that come to mind are the housing. I was placed in a 3 person house in a quiet neighbourhood and that was great. While the house was incredibly cold (no central heat), the real problem was the bathroom. It did not ventilate well, so after taking a shower the room would be full of condensation. I mean the ceiling would be covered in water, which would proceed to drip on the ground for hours, leaving the floor wet and dirty. This also caused the ceiling in the bathroom to sag significantly, and it was covered in what looked to be mold. I think the housing used could be better scouted, and if these are residences the program uses frequently (as opposed to finding new ones each time applicants arrive), they should be better maintained. Furthermore, I was not given a key to lock my bedroom door, and as there were no safes in any of the rooms, this would have been appreciated. I found the three weeks of Spanish class at the beginning of the program to be only slightly helpful. We spent most of the classes walking around, which was a fantastic way to learn the area and practice conversational Spanish with my teacher. The problem was this dynamic made it very easy to stay within my comfort zone of the language. I think classroom activities are helpful because they are focused and often force conversation on topics otherwise avoided (politics, history, the environment, uncommon situations) as they are difficult or are beyond the scope of what is immediately comfortable. As such, it was easy to stick to things like food or scenery, but difficult to branch into more challenging areas. Overall I had a very enjoyable time in Chile. I enjoyed my work and feel much more confident in my Spanish abilities.

Adelante Abroad responded to this reviewAugust 20, 2018

Such great news that your Legal Internship taught you much about business law abroad and also that your Spanish language level has increased – these are really our top goals and what will resonate on your Resume for years to come. The housing you lived in is a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom house in the Garden District of Vina del Mar, Chile, one of the safest and most desirable, two blocks from a large grocery store, plus cafes and gyms nearby and about 5 short blocks to the beach. We LOVE this snug little house and use it regularly. Your comments about it are disturbing,

Valparaíso, Chile is a city filled with colorful historical buildings and graffiti by artists from around the world. Every day while walking around town, to school, or to my internship, I would see something new everyday. It took a few months, but I became an expert in the nooks and crannies of this wonderful quirky, historical city. I fell in love with the dancing, the drinks, the families, the people, and the strays that wandered the city. If I need an American refresher, I would head to neighboring city Viña del Mar that was filled with American brands such as Starbucks and architecture that resembled the United States. I worked in a public school meant for the impoverished of the city. My students were sixth to eighth graders. This experience became one of the most challenging for me, but it is my proudest moment by far. I traveled a lot and felt completely safe as a woman in South America. Just be street smart and you'll be fine. This country is great for hiking and outdoor activities and is cheaper to European countries. I chose to take tougher academic classes to really challenge me, so don't expect classes with locals to be easy. But it was manageable and it improved my Spanish greatly! Great experience and I am dying to go back to see all the friends I miss!!