Liberal Arts students embrace Spanish history and culture in Cádiz

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Several Penn State College of the Liberal Arts students immersed themselves in Spanish art, culture, history and language this summer during four weeks in Cádiz, Spain, as part of the “Spain Language and Culture” faculty-led study abroad program.

The program, led by Miguel Ramirez-Bernal, assistant teaching professor of Spanish, and Susana Garcia-Prudencio, director of Spanish basic and intermediate language programs, featured advanced classes and excursions to historical sites in Cádiz and surrounding towns such as Granada and Seville.

Zoe Feinberg, a second-year student majoring in criminology with a minor in Spanish, said Ramirez-Bernal and Garcia-Prudencio possessed “superhuman stamina,” that allowed students to “jump from one place after the other and made sure [they] hit everything during the trip.”

“Miguel and Susana were really good tour guides that gave great advice on things to do and see,” Feinberg said. “They also really enforced that we should only be speaking Spanish. There were a lot of other students from different schools who were in Cádiz studying abroad, but I think our group improved the most with our Spanish just because when you’re so immersed in it, you learn so fast.”

Feinberg said immersing herself in the language was difficult at first, but with faculty support and constant practice her vocabulary vastly improved and her understanding of the language strengthened.

“I remember getting out of the airport and on our way to Cádiz we stopped at a local café. The worker there was speaking Spanish so fast I couldn’t understand,” Feinberg recalled. “Luckily, Miguel was right next to me and was able to help me order. Since that day, my understanding of Spanish has improved so much because I was hearing it from other people constantly and using it so much to communicate.”

Margaret "Maggie" Day, a third-year student majoring in Spanish and education and public policy, experienced a similar growth in her language skills during the trip.

“Once I leave a Spanish class at Penn State, I usually stop speaking or using my Spanish unless I’m doing homework or speaking with Spanish professors,” she said. “But while studying abroad, Spanish was everywhere — from the cafés we visited after class, to the bus ride to the beach, to our residence hall. We were completely immersed, which really helped my confidence with the language because I was practicing it so often.”

Students lived in residence halls together during the trip, which allowed them to connect with their Penn State classmates and students from other schools in the United States also studying abroad in Cádiz.

“I’m still friends with the other students from the trip — we have a group chat, and we all get excited when we see each other around on campus,” Feinberg said. “It’s like camp friends — you all get thrown together for four weeks and become family.”

Living in residence halls also provided more opportunities to visit nearby stores and sites where students could connect with locals. Day remembers one of her favorite moments of the trip happening when she visited a local nail salon with a group of friends.

“The salon was run by three sisters and one of their daughters who were all wearing matching rainbow dresses,” Day said. “When we told them it was one of our friend’s birthday, they brought out small strawberry milkshakes and a microphone to sing. After the shop closed, they let us stick around and we sang and danced for 45 minutes. They were so kind and fun, and we connected on Instagram to stay in touch.”

The program also included trips and excursions to nearby cities where students could examine even more Spanish landmarks, art and architecture. Common favorites included visiting the cities of Bolonia and Granada and seeing the historical sites of Vejer de la Frontera and el Barrio de Santa Cruz in Seville.

“Our visit to the Dunes of Bolonia — situated right next to Baelo Claudia, a well-preserved site with Roman ruins and an extensive history — was breathtaking and super peaceful,” Day said. “We got to see Roman relics and remains, and some of us completed the tradition of climbing the mountainous sand dunes next to the beach. The views at the top were fantastic.”

The trip to el Barrio de Santa Cruz in Seville was especially moving for Feinberg.

“My family is Jewish, so it was super interesting to see the Jewish quarters in Seville,” Feinberg said. “There was so much history everywhere, which is something we don’t get in the United States because of colonization and it being a younger country.”

Feinberg said the trip was certainly something that she and the other students would always remember.

“Studying abroad is such an amazing experience and is so worth it,” she said, “It will improve your life outlook, give you so many friends, and give you so many experiences that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. There’s a study abroad opportunity for everyone, (so) go to the study abroad fair, talk to people who studied abroad, and take advantage of the opportunity if you can!”

Students interested in the Cádiz, Spain program or study-abroad scholarships can learn more about the application process and requirements through the College of the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network, a resource for Liberal Arts students seeking career-related, international, or professional development activities.

This is one in a series of 10 stories about College of the Liberal Arts faculty-led course trips that took place this summer. Summer 2024 programs will be posted before the end of the fall 2023 semester. Read additional stories and learn more.