What inspired you to work for Expanish?
I knew that I wanted to work and study abroad after having such a positive experience myself. I was contacted by a recruiter and told that a study abroad company in Argentina was looking for a native English speaker with experience in studying abroad. It was the first and only time that has happened to me and it happened to be at my dream job.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love seeing the progression of students from their first day to their last day in the program. I have met students in Argentina who did not speak a word of Spanish when they arrived and by the end of a program, they are speaking with ease, using Argentine slang, and drinking mate like a pro. With language programs, the advancement is so evident and I love to be able to witness something so tangible.
This is me with some students at a wine tasting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
Living abroad is not easy. The hardest part is living so far away from friends and family. It helps to visit as often as possible and as much as my budget allows, but it also helps to stay in touch with group chats, frequent video calls, and trying to get them to visit me ;). But I do not miss the United States as much as I would have thought.
What are some current projects you are working on?
We are now working on promoting our 2024 summer programs. This means having meetings with university staff, faculty, and students to help them find the program and destination that best meets their needs.
We also have our scholarship deadline coming soon so we are doing our best to get students to apply to that since it is worth US $1,000. It will help the budget to get the scholarship.
Let the semester begin! Here I am giving a talk at the new student orientation.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I would say to be prepared for tough times but that so much growth occurs when you travel. Spending substantial time abroad will forever positively change you and broaden your perspective. Do not be afraid to take chances, try and meet as many people as possible, and to feel uncomfortable as it is normal while studying or traveling abroad.
Why should someone choose Expanish over competitors?
Expanish is a small, owner-run organization, which means we have more personalized contact with our students. The staff at each of our study centers will know students by name, know which apartment or homestay they are staying in, and will be up-to-date with how classes are going. Since we are smaller, our program fees tend to be more economical as well.
What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?
Since we are a Spanish language school with students from all over the world, we can offer flexible program start dates, and flexible durations, and have experience with students from all backgrounds. Our specialty is Spanish language learning, so students will find some of the best teachers they have ever had in the classroom.
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Expanish strives to create a "glocal" community committed to learning Spanish, encouraging immersion in the host society for all those people who long to learn a new language in their natural environment. We want to help understanding between cultures and encourage the learning of a new language and culture, encouraging the creation of strong and lasting links, and building a community that shares memorable and lasting experiences. As Expanish grows, we want to remain personalized and focused so the student experience remains the same and even improves.
This is me taking a selfie with a tasty pastry while in Strasbourg, France.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope that all students leave Spain or Argentina with an unforgettable abroad experience and the desire to keep traveling and learning abroad. If a student does a summer program with us in Spain, I hope that the moment they get back to the US they are already seeing the possibility of going abroad again to somewhere in Asia or Africa. I want that travel bug to be ignited in them and to become a life-long learner and traveler.
If you could participate in one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
In general, I prefer the path less traveled so I would prefer to go to Buenos Aires, Argentina and I would do a Spanish language program. I always wanted to become fluent in another language so I would want to stay as long as it takes to feel like I have mastered the language. I think I would spend the first half of the program in a homestay to get extra Spanish practice and then the second half in an apartment to have more independence.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
I think experiencing different cultures and traveling abroad is one of the keys to a successful global society. By becoming more familiar with other people and cultures, one becomes more understanding of others. They become less "other" and, therefore, less distant and less unknown. It helps people from the US know that other ways of life are equally as valid as our own and we can learn a lot from other people and other societies.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Learning new languages is an amazing way to expand your knowledge of the world. Visiting a place as a tourist gives you one experience, but living there and speaking the language gives you a completely different one. For students from the US and in a more practical sense, it is specifically important to stay competitive in the job market.
So many sites to see in Girona, Spain. I loved this spot where they filmed Games of Thrones.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Be flexible and adapt! There are so many things that can happen while abroad and one of the biggest pieces of advice I have for students is to be prepared to "go with the flow" as things do not always work out the way they are planned.
A program itinerary may change, you might not be best friends with your roommate, a foreign professor might have a different way of running a class, etc. By adapting (within reason), it helps to have a positive experience in the face of uncertainty.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means living like a local (no hotels) and interacting with locals (no study abroad bubbles). I think short-term stays abroad are a great way to have fun and learn new things, but meaning travel means seeing a place from a local perspective and this is hard to do when you are only in a hotel and only talking to other study abroad students. Whenever we have programs where students stay in hotels (typically short-term programs), I always try to encourage activities to meet local students or other locals as you get a more profound understanding of their life experiences.
