Social Work in a Latin American Context

I went to Mexico to improve my Spanish skills and gain confidence moving and interacting in unfamiliar settings and situations. This program allowed me to greatly improve my Spanish - the month-long urban homestay was super helpful for that - and expand my skillset and knowledge of what I can do. In the course of this program I also complete a social work practicum at a local elder care home, and that allowed me to apply and further develop social work skills of empathy and communication, as well as to more completely immerse myself in the local community.

As a first-generation, Mexican American college student, I had the opportunity to challenge myself, academically and personally, in a place I never been. I do not regret this decision at all. I took every opportunity that I was presented with; social media ambassador, internship at a human rights commission, and most importantly, building relationships.

I I initially went to study abroad to expand my knowledge and immerse myself in a Spanish-speaking culture to increase my development and support my future desires to work in social work specifically advocating for Latino Americans struggling in the US that go against social systems that continue to oppress the Latino community. My experience during my study abroad program turned out to be way more than that. The people I met both my peers, and the staff completely changed my outlook on life and social work in general, pushing me to strive for myself academically, socially, and culturally. I am forever grateful for the experience I encountered during my study abroad program in Mexico with all of our speakers I had the honor of hearing their stories and their struggles and their achievements throughout their life, dealing with various types of discrimination. The encouragement I received from the study abroad staff helped me tremendously throughout various personal struggles, especially it being my first time living away from home I could not be more grateful for what this program taught me in the person it taught me to become, and I am still becoming in my Host family will forever be close to my heart and it feels like I have a home wherever I go, and if I could, I would do it all over again

My semester in Cuernavaca, Mexico was an experience that pushed me far beyond simply studying in another country. Through my Social Work in a Latin American Perspective program, I learned in the classroom while also spending time in the community, engaging with people and organizations, practicing Spanish, and learning about social issues through a Latin American lens. I was expected to be open-minded, reflective, and willing to sit with the discomfort of not always understanding everything right away, and that became one of the most valuable parts of the experience. What made Cuernavaca so meaningful were the everyday moments: navigating a new city, communicating across language and cultural differences, listening to people's experiences, and learning from communities rather than assuming I already knew their stories. There were definitely moments when I felt uncomfortable or unsure, but those moments taught me courage. The people I met taught me compassion, and the relationships I built reminded me of the importance of connection. I came to Mexico wanting to learn about social work in a different context, but I left with a deeper understanding of myself and the kind of social worker I hope to become. Studying abroad reminded me that cultural humility means being willing to listen before speaking, to learn before judging, and to recognize that my way of seeing the world is not the only way. It was not always an easy experience, but it was an amazing one, and I know I will carry the lessons, relationships, and perspective I gained in Cuernavaca with me long after leaving Mexico.

Overall, I thought the program was good! Not much time is spent in classes, but there are a lot of mandatory talks and activities outside of classwork. A lot really good speakers that show non-dominant voices that are often not heard

I overall hard I very great experience in Cuernavaca. The main issues that I had while studying abroad was with students and staff. There were a lot of students and staff that weren't culturally aware.

I loved my time here in Mexico, being able to continue my major without getting behind, continuing Spanish as well as having the opportunity for an internship. Among all of this we had the opportunity to be immersed in the culture of Cuernavaca and live with incredible families from Cuernavaca. Its a program with A LOT of opportunity.

This program offers perspectives on Mexico from a narrow lense. I learned a lot and experienced many things. What I enjoyed most is the home stay where I created a meaningful relationship with a family here in Mexico. It is hard to say if I would recommend this program, I think you need to be a very specific type of person. I was able to meet all my credit requirements and not lose time towards graduation which is very beneficial. Additionally, my Spanish has improved significantly, there is nothing like diving in and learning, classrooms just don't cut it.

Living with a host family and being in Mexico was incredible. Cuernavaca is beautiful and a fun place to live. The program offered the courses I needed, but there are a few hiccups in orientation and handling student interactions that need to be worked out. There are many optional excursions, which are a lot of fun, as well as planned trips to other parts of Mexico.

While I enjoyed my overall study abroad experience in Mexico, I must admit I am highly disappointed and upset with Augsburg's CGEE office process of predeparture. The CGEE office tells you all about the positive experiences other students have, but fail to prepare students of color for the colorism and racial discrimination they face while studying away in other countries. We spend so much time learning about the other country and culture which is good, but the CGEE office does not prepare students of color mentally to handle the situations they may face racial discrimination especially when compared to the White study abroad students. Also, I felt that Augsburg CGEE had swindled me, they claimed we as students would receive health insurance through the school, but when I arrived to the other country the health insurance did not cover any of the expenses I don't know what their purpose was. I even know students who were hospitalized and the school still did not cover their expenses. If that's the case the school shouldn't advertise how they will provide health insurance if their not going to cover any type of health expense.

I highly recommend this program! You will no doubt learn a lot of Spanish and meet incredible people. The speakers in this program are wonderful. Make sure you understand the possibility of getting very sick. Almost every student in our group became sick during their time here. It won't break your trip, but it is important to note.

I've been back to Mexico once already since I have been home.. (it has only been a month and two days) But to experience the semester again, I would go back in a heartbeat. I learned more about myself in less than five months than I have in 21 years of living.

Studying here in Cuernavaca has been one of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had. It has made me more confident in my studies and more culturally aware of the spaces I take up. It was a blessing

Overall had a good experience here. I learned a lot about myself, Mexico, and US-Mexico relations. I liked the focus on hands on experiences. Sometimes things could get a bit complicated, but the program worked hard to work through things and make up for hiccups.

Overall, my experience here in Mexico was amazing! CGEE has long lasting relationships with many individuals not only in the Cuernavaca community but also around Mexico. There were many opportunities to network with other social workers at the UNAM in Mexico City and other professionals/individuals who are passionate about service and social justice. I would highly recommend this program to anyone!

There are a lot of things that need to be addressed. One of those things being communication style, respect, racism, and many more. Luckily there were some super supportive staff but I hope things will.

I had a great time studying in Cuernavaca. Aside from minor issues in programming, everything went very well. The staff places a heavy emphasis on experiential learning, and I really enjoyed that aspect. I recommend this program to anyone that is interested in learning more about the US-Mexico relationship.

This was a great program for me as a social work major. I am extremely glad to have gone on this program for a number of reasons. As a social work major, this program allowed me to broaden my worldview, my global social work knowledge, and my ability to communicate cross-culturally.

I had a really amazing time in Cuernavaca. I met so many great people and learned great things. I think the program does a great job of pushing you out of your comfort zone but still being supportive along the way. The one thing I would change is more opportunities to travel around Mexico and more spacing out of the assignments. I felt like during my first months here I wasn't doing any academic work, and then at the end all of my assignments were crammed into one. I wish we had more opportunities to travel around the country. But overall, I enjoyed this program. I would do it again if I had the choice.

The decision to study abroad was by far the best decision I made in my undergraduate years. I was exposed to a different world, a different view of social work, a different way or livening and it was all so enriching. I walked out of this program as a different person with a different aspect on the world. I still reflect back on everything I learned in this program and beyond blessed to have the experiencing of livening and studying abroad.