Staff Interview with Isabel Torrecillas Jiménez

What inspired you to co-found Euroace?

My first idea behind starting Euroace came from my own study abroad experience. When I studied abroad it was difficult to immerse and integrate in the new culture and so my idea arose from this. I wanted to create an organization in Valencia that would give international students, like myself, the opportunity to not only travel to the country but to get to know it too!

Moreover, I love international education and I really believe it is such a valuable experience. Studying abroad is not only about learning the language but about integrating in different cultures and learning in a variety of ways. I think that international education enables you to better understand your own culture as well as making you more empathetic, more easy going, and overall a more independent and capable individual.

Can you tell us about the work you do as the CEO?

As the CEO I primarily manage and coordinate our staff, direct international relations with partners and students, work with new programs—specifically keeping them updated and relevant in relation to international education—and I ensure that we are up to date in the industry.

What was the founding mission for Euroace and how do you continue to work towards that mission?

The mission was always to help students from other cultures to adapt and adjust to a different environment, therefore enabling them to gain a full cultural immersion experience.

We continue to work towards this mission by customizing our programs more and more to fit each of our students’ needs and to provide them with a unique study abroad experience.

Why should students choose to study with Euroace?

What sets us apart as a cultural exchange organization is that we seek to personalize and customize our programs to suit our students’ needs and interests. We want them to direct their learning so they can benefit fully from their experience. Additionally, we adopt a personal approach giving our best efforts each and every day to take care of the students—our staff have been specially selected for this purpose.

What can students expect from Euroace programs?

They can expect to find an independent program where they can grow by themselves and have their own experience, while also receiving continual support and guidance when necessary. They shall know that their program is well managed and tailored specifically for their needs, while also allowing themselves to be free and independent within it. We believe this is the best way for them to learn and get the most out of the opportunity.

How has Euroace become a leading organization for cultural exchange?

There really is no secret. All we do is take it day by day, working consistently hard to improve and adapt our service to meet the needs of our students and clients. We say “sin prisa pero sin pausa”—meaning our work is done with the highest quality and we are continually progressing and trying to get better, without stopping. After working in this sector for so many years, I am still learning every day. This is the key, to keep learning and progressing.

What challenges do you face in your current role and how do you overcome them?

Every student, every partner, and every culture that we work with are different and so attending to all of them and their specific needs can be challenging. Of course, it’s always testing to work with different languages, cultures, and points of view. I would say being patient is essential, particularly in working through things slowly and thoroughly.

Why is it important for individuals to travel and experience new cultures?

When you immerse in a different culture you get to understand new cultures and points of view, and this in turn leads you to understanding your own culture and your own perspective better. You become more critical of things and more open minded as you see the rest of the world.

Also, I believe traveling to new places teaches you to learn how to deal with stressful situations and challenges. As a result, you naturally become more easy going and not so stressed out in novel situations, which can help you in the future as you deal with new steps and challenges.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

For me it means traveling to a new culture and letting this experience open your mind to new ways of thinking.  At the same time, I think traveling can make you realize the things you have and you feel more appreciative for the people and the things in your life.

Another benefit of traveling and studying abroad is the people you can meet from all over the world. Many of our students have told us that the best part of their experience was not only learning about the new culture they were living in, but also learning about other countries and cultures and making lifelong friendships.

Are there any Euroace developments in the works that we can expect to see in the near future?

We are always looking to improve our services and adapt to the market. We are currently developing and improving our Sports programs. Our Soccer program is becoming a popular option and we are looking to grow in this area to offer more and more opportunities for soccer teams as well as individual players.

Our other developments include Custom programs that are becoming more specific to what the student wants in terms of their education sector, the length of their program, and their study abroad interests.