Why did you decide to study abroad with API?
Niki: I chose to study with API because, after doing a lot of research, API offered the best value for what was included and had multiple programs in Andalucía, the area of Spain where I wanted to study abroad. The program was much more inclusive than the ones offered through my university, which only offered programs in big cities such as Madrid or in Northern Spain, and that was not the experience I was looking for. API gave me the opportunity to choose the program in southern Spain in Granada that was a much better fit for me.
What made this study abroad experience unique and special?
Niki: I've always believed that the people make the place. Granada is a beautiful, breathtaking city, and I loved living there more than I can express, but it would not have been the same with a different group of people. Our collective group of API students were all from different cities, universities and situations and in different stages in their academic and professional careers, but we were all part of this larger-than-life experience that changed each and every one of us. The home I found in Granada was due to the incredible people that populated it: other students, locals, the API staff, the people I met traveling from all around the world. Granadinos are naturally kind, welcoming, open people, and that mindset infected me and changed me in ways I didn't expect. That positive shift in attitude, that personal growth and development facilitated by those around me - that was the special part. That was the part I wouldn't ever change.
What did you love about your study abroad experience?
Niki: Quite simply, I fell in love with Granada. I fell in love with a new way of life. My semester rocked my academic foundations in all the best ways and made me question things I thought were concrete. I'm not sure anymore - and I kind of like that. Before I left for Spain, I had a master plan all set up for my return. After my senior year at the University of Utah, I would immediately enroll in law school, obtain my J.D., and go charging into the legal workforce right after. Granada was a gamechanger on that front.
I realized that there was so much more to the world that I had previously thought, and I'm not quite ready to settle into the life of a lawyer. I'm still planning on graduating this year with my bachelor's degree, but instead of jumping back into the world of graduate school, I'm planning on going back to Spain to teach. I don't know for how long - probably until the wanderlust bug bites again and sends me off on a new adventure - but living in Granada showed me how beautiful the world is, and I want to experience it all.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Niki: Quite simply, I fell in love with Granada. I fell in love with a new way of life. My semester rocked my academic foundations in all the best ways and made me question things I thought were concrete. I'm not sure anymore - and I kind of like that. Before I left for Spain, I had a master plan all set up for my return. After my senior year at the University of Utah, I would immediately enroll in law school, obtain my J.D., and go charging into the legal workforce right after. Granada was a gamechanger on that front. I realized that there was so much more to the world that I had previously thought, and I'm not quite ready to settle into the life of a lawyer.
I'm still planning on graduating this year with my bachelor's degree, but instead of jumping back into the world of graduate school, I'm planning on going back to Spain to teach. I don't know for how long - probably until the wanderlust bug bites again and sends me off on a new adventure - but living in Granada showed me how beautiful the world is, and I want to experience it all.
What is one piece of advice you'd give future API students?
Niki: The advice I'd give? It's worth it. Throw caution to the wind and don't be afraid to go to a new place that you are unsure of. You tend to find out more about yourself in those situations than when you don't venture out of your comfort zone. The most beautiful memories are the ones that you don't expect, and studying abroad will give you moments like that every day.
My advice? Just go. Now. Go abroad and discover the world.