Adelante Abroad

Interning abroad with Adelante was the experience of a lifetime. I interned as a mechanical engineering student at a creative coworking lab called Makerspace where I got to collaborate on innovative projects using 3D printers, laser cutters, and other cool tools with my coworkers in the lab. I also had the wonderful experience of leading a workshop in Spanish on 3D design in SolidWorks. My coworkers were extremely welcoming and made a strong effort to help me navigate Chilean culture and traveling as well as spending time with me outside of work! I learned a lot with their help and improved my Spanish exponentially, even though Chilean Spanish is quite strange. COVID definitely had a negative impact on the experience, as it made travel difficult and made half of my time at the internship virtual. Also, there were very few participants in the program, so it was a struggle to find friends to do things with. Nonetheless, the experience was overall very rewarding, and I highly recommend this program.

My time abroad was such a great experience! I was really happy with my psychology internship placement where I learned a lot! I was able to work with some of the top Psychiatrists and Psychologists in Madrid. With my placement, I was also able to travel to a lot of other places in Europe. My housing placement was perfect as it was right in the center of Madrid. The lifestyle and nightlife in Madrid were super fun, I could not recommend and city and country to study abroad more! I only wish I was able to spend more time abroad, everything was perfect!

I spent 3 months in Uruguay, interning with a law firm in Punta del Este. The firm I interned with was the first firm to receive recognition for its continuous improvement and quality management by the National Institute of Quality (INACAL). It was an honor to collaborate with a firm with such recognition.

My internship placement was flexible, and the team communicated with me well. I received university credit for my internship. Accordingly, I had to meet an hour requirement. My firm was happy to accommodate my hours and fill out all forms I needed for the university.

As for Uruguay, it is a beautiful country. I have traveled to several countries in Latin America on multiple occasions, and my trip to Uruguay was the smoothest. Plus, the people were always willing to talk with me so that I could practice my Spanish.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for a meaningful internship experience.

I spent three months in Oaxaca studying psychology. Understandably, this is a difficult discipline to study as an intern due to the often confidential nature of the work. Despite this, I felt that the program coordinator Carlos did a great job connecting me with local psychologists to learn, assist with presentations, practice Spanish, observe therapy sessions, and even lead sessions on my own. I wanted to learn what it would be like to work as a psychologist and I feel Adelante helped me reach this goal. I also was afforded plenty of time and flexibility to travel throughout Oaxaca and to spend time with my brilliant housemates. The language courses were much-needed and I felt much more prepared going into my work placement having that introduction. The best part of this experience for me was the housing placement. Myself and the girls I lived with were placed with an extremely hospitable family from Oaxaca. Talking with them was the best practice I had for my Spanish. They were also some of the most pleasant people I have met and I felt they really embraced me as part of the family.

If you are thinking of traveling with adelante, I recommend it. It was extremely affordable compared to other programs I have seen. The process was as stress-free as possible, from the pre-departure materials and interviews, the arrival and integration with language classes, and the departure, everything was well-organized. It was also important to me to have independence and to be able to tailor the program to my goals, and this was fulfilled. Everyone I worked with from Adelante was pleasant and helpful. If I decide to study away again, I will likely choose adelante.

If you are thinking of traveling to Oaxaca, also, I recommend it. Some of the best food I’ve had on my travels, some of the kindest people I’ve met, and some of the best places to visit, from the vibrant city to the ruins to the mushroom mountains and to the beaches on both sides. One could spend a lot of time studying and traveling Oaxaca, and by the end, they will want to make it home. Carlos was great as a program coordinator. If you have any concerns about speaking Spanish, I entered the program knowing a decent amount of Spanish but mostly unable to communicate at all with native speakers without great trouble. Through the classes and being integrated I quickly grew in confidence and was able to communicate much more clearly.

if you have any specific questions about the program you want to ask a former participant, I am happy to chat. My email is Jacob.gerber@alumni.furman.edu. Bon voyage.

This was the best experience in the entire world! The staff at adelante and the staff here in Madrid have been so amazing throughout my entire 6 months in Spain. Adelante had stayed in touch and continually checked in on how I was doing. And the best part, the help from the connections in Madrid have been what has made this experience so amazing. From the language school to the AMAZING internship placement, I could not say any bigger thanks to Angel and everyone else here in Madrid.I am very thankful for this opportunity and think that everyone who is considering it should go for it!