Sol Abroad High School Program in Spain

Participating in a language program is very exciting, but it may also make people nervous at first. My advice is to not be afraid to speak the target language. The locals are very understanding and they will not mind if you make mistakes.

After all, mistakes are the the best way to learn. When I used my Spanish in Spain, the people appreciated that I was communicating to them in their language. Another piece of advice is to enjoy immersing in the culture and to maintain an open mind while traveling.

On weekdays, I would wake up at around seven in the morning and have breakfast with my host family. Then I attended Spanish language courses at the University of Granada from nine to one. The Spanish classes I took focused on grammar, and they were also very discussion-based.

After classes, I had lunch with my host family, and then I had some time to relax, do my homework and spend time with my peers and host.

In the evening, I participated in a cultural activity around Granada. We went to a new place every evening. For example, we saw a flamenco performance, visited the Capilla Real, cooked paella, sampled local cuisine, participated in a scavenger hunt, went to a tea house, relaxed in the Arabian baths, and much more.

The weekends consisted of day trips. One weekend, we went zip-lining, followed by the water park. Another time we went to visit Picasso's museum and birthplace, followed by a trip to the beach. We even hiked in the Sierra Nevada mountains!

My biggest fear was flying alone. It was the first time that I have ever been on an airplane without my family. I was worried that I would lose all my important documents, lose my luggage, go on the wrong airplane, or miss the plane. I organized my papers in a folder and had the folder with me at all times. I also put a tag on my luggage in order to identify it. Most importantly, I made sure I arrived at the airport on time. After this experience, I feel more confident about flying independently.

I really enjoyed interacting with the other participants in the program. They were high school students from different parts of the United States. I formed friendships and memories during this trip. In between classes and evening cultural activities, we got to go out.

We explored the shops around Granada, sampled an immense amount of gelato, enjoyed churros and listened to some live rock music. Granada is a lively and bustling city. Overall, the trip was an unforgettable experience!

A student recently messages Sol Abroad on Facebook saying that she was getting married that weekend. She mentioned that she went to study abroad with Sol in Oaxaca a few years ago and ended up becoming very good friends with a local Mexican who would eventually become her fiancé!

She reached out to thank Sol for her amazing experience abroad and said that without our program, she would not have met her future husband. I love getting to hear stories like this where students make connections abroad that last a lifetime.

At this point, I have been fortunate to go to three out of our four program locations. I studied abroad with Sol in Argentina when I was in college, I visited our Costa Rica location in the summer of 2017 and I just recently came back from a trip to our Spain location earlier this year, so I would love to go to our Mexico location!

It is the location where most alumni have returned to live permanently, which I think speaks very highly of Oaxaca! I have heard wonderful things from my coworkers who have visited and would love to experience Mexican culture, as I am half Mexican and have not had a chance to visit Mexico as an adult.

Sol Abroad is unique because we focus on quality over quantity. By only having four program locations, we have really been able to perfect a student's experience in each location. I have been especially proud of my team when we have gone above and beyond for a student to have a successful program.

I have heard from countless students that our directors have helped them through tough times abroad, by following up with them every day and making sure that they are comfortable. I love knowing we have a team that truly cares for each and every student.

Communication. Sol Abroad has a fairly small team, consisting of 9 members at headquarters in the US and four remote, local teams in each of our locations. Since we do have a smaller staff size, we are able to streamline communication and work efficiently.

Another great benefit of having a smaller team is that we are all able to get to know each other and therefore care about each other. Sol Abroad team members not only do a good job because we care for the students, but also because we care about each other and want to help each other out as much as possible.