Asturias Field Study and Internship Program

Academic Rigor
The academic rigor of the IFE program is unparalleled, it allows you to learn and flourish academically. Through its classes IFE teaches you not only about the Spanish language, but also about what makes the Asturias program special as a local and cultural site. The program allows you to gain academic knowledge about Spanish history, language, culture and economics, from professors that care about their students’ well-being. The academic experience extends beyond the classroom through excursions to cultural and historical sites. IFE takes what is learned in the classroom and allows students to apply that knowledge outside of it.

Cultural Impact
The cultural impact of IFE is where it truly shines, as learning about the principality of Asturias in class allows students to converse with native speakers about cultural topics in a meaningful and productive way. Instead of focusing on the awkwardness of being a student in a foreign place, IFE gives students the tools to engage with their environment. The program fosters relationships between you and native speakers, and other colleagues, students, and peers. IFE forces you outside of your comfort zone and allows you to reflect on your experiences and journal them. Through this reflection IFE students create lifelong memories and have an opportunity to obtain the certificate of intercultural competency.

Internship Experience
The internship experience will allow you to meet and work with native speakers on a professional level. IFE grants you a professional engagement that other study abroad programs simply do not offer. The program allows students to speak about their passions and engage in internship experience in a field they enjoy, all while speaking a foreign language. This experience is emblematic of the program and is what truly sets IFE apart. Through this internship you will create lifelong connections as well as crucial life experience.

Advice to Travelers, and Students Alike
Remember to have fun! Although, IFE is challenging, it is an equally rewarding experience. Remember to have fun and participate in social and cultural events. IFE has many cultural excursions, classes, and experiences that are unforgettable, and create a lifelong appreciation for a new culture and its people. So remember to take breaks, and simply enjoy the cultural and language immersion that the program entails.

I had always known that I wanted to study abroad, but I was never very picky about which program I went with. But I distinctly remember Thomas's presentation about IFE in my Spanish class because, from that point on, I had it planned that I would apply to IFE. I liked that they veered off the traditional path of study abroad programs. Instead of structuring it as a sort of semester long "experience" (vacation, essentially), IFE is clear that their program is not catering exclusively to the student, but instead is offering the student a chance to step out of their comfort zone, be an outsider, and have the privileged experience of being able to immerse yourself completely in another way of life. While intensely rewarding, this experience can also present difficulties which is why I differentiate it from traditional study abroad programs where the student more or less is vacationing in another country, for example not speaking the native language, having classes in English, living in a dorm with other English speakers, etc. It was important to me that I did a program where I had a host family, spent all or most of the day speaking Spanish, and actually learned about the culture and society of the place I was in. My goals aligned exactly with what IFE offered.

I did my internship at the People's Museum of Asturias, where I worked principally with the documentalist who archives everything that the museum collects, and also does work with the exhibitions the museum creates. I'm a History and Spanish joint major at my school, so I learned further about the regional history of Asturias and was able to further my knowledge of Spanish history. I'm also interested in working in museums when I'm older, so I was able to explore that career path further with this internship.

The classes were a really great way to get comfortable speaking with native speakers, and especially the history class we took gave me a great base of knowledge to then go into the museum and learn further. There is an eclectic mix of teachers who all have their unique qualities and bring great energy to the classes. The comfortable setting of a classroom and going to school was also particularly helpful when in a completely new place.

I was very lucky to connect incredibly well with my host family. We were very similar and shared many interests. I enjoyed spending time with them and it also helped me learn and immerse myself further than students who were not as close with their families. I also got to see the "traditional" family life in Spain and see how it compared and contrasted with family life in the US. Going out on the weekends with the other students allowed us to meet other people near our age and we made a few friends as well!

The most important thing I learned is that I should never regret anything. Which may sound weird, but at the end of my program we had a brunch where one of my teachers asked us: if we could change anything about the program, what would it be? And it dawned on me I wouldn't want to change anything. Every mistake, slip up, bad day, good day, every moment was crucial to where I had gotten to at the end of the program and I wouldn't trade that for the world. I also learned that while other countries and places may seem strikingly different than ours, there are actually MANY more similarities than we think. We are connected more than we are separated. Furthermore, valuing our differences without judgment or shame also connects people even more.