Hana Quinn

Major: Biology

Spanish for Healthcare, La Universidad de Oviedo -- Oviedo, Spain

 

 

Q: What drew you to this location?

A: I have always been interested in Spain and have wanted to travel there for so long. I have been learning Spanish through dual immersion since first grade, so when an opportunity arose to study abroad there and combine my interests, it felt perfect for me!

POP OUT QUOTE: “One of the most valuable parts of my experience abroad was the relationships that I made. I walked away with so many new invaluable friendships—both from the U and abroad—and connections with university faculty who became mentors, role models and friends.”

Q: Does this relate to your major? If so, how?

A: As a biology major, I do plan to pursue a career in health care and the class content and hospital job-shadowing experience related to that.

Q: Does this program relate to your passions and interests? How? Which ones?

A: Yes! I love Spanish language and culture and have been learning about it for as long as I can remember. I also have a strong desire to help people through medicine, and this program combined both of those interests.

Q: How have your past experiences prepared you for this experience?

A: I currently work as a certified nursing assistant at Primary Children's Hospital, and that experience definitely gave me a lot of insight into how the hospital environment works. However, hospitals run quite differently in Spain, so it was very interesting to see. Also, my experience with dual-immersion Spanish and the Bridge Program helped prepare me for the language that I would be learning and living in.

Q: What intercultural skills have you developed while learning abroad?

A: I experienced firsthand how the healthcare system works in Spain and can compare it to the U.S. Unrelated to my career, I learned how to better converse with people in Spanish, immerse myself in a new culture and figure out how to navigate life in a very different place from home!

Q: What was your experience with the food available while learning abroad?

A: I loved getting to try new foods while I was in Spain. Since I was living with a host family that was set up by the program, they provided three meals a day. It was a great opportunity to try traditional foods at a low cost.

Q: What was your experience with navigation while learning abroad?

A: It was definitely an adjustment to navigate abroad, especially in a foreign country by myself. I will say that today's technology made it a lot easier to figure things out and solve problems on the spot. Connecting with people from my program in meetings beforehand also gave me the opportunity to coordinate travel and accommodations to make the trip less daunting.

Q: What is your advice for students considering the opportunity to study abroad?

A: If you have the opportunity to study abroad, do it! It seriously has been one of the highlights of my life thus far and was an incredible experience I will never forget!

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Any views, experiences, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this student highlight do not necessarily represent those of the College of Science.