Program Reviews

There are many people that do not get the chance to leave the country. Even before this program though, I was not one of those people. I was lucky enough that my parents granted me multiple opportunities to leave the country while growing up. Because of this, I thought I was prepared; I thought I knew what I was doing. Truth is, it's an entirely different ballgame.

Being in Prague, studying in international libraries, looking and walking across and through structures that are more than 3/4 of a millennia old, and many, many more, are all amazing. However, it's not about what you do, it's about who you do it with. I think the reason I thought I knew what I was doing was because when I did travel with my family, it was mostly sightseeing and dinners and such. I thought that's what studying abroad would be - seeing cool things, maybe interact with a few locals and call it a day. Maybe this is why I thought I knew anything about anything overseas: "I saw cool things outside of America, how different could this be." Well, when you're spending days with your family, let alone your friends and not going outside of your comfort zone, it's easy to say so. However, once you leave that comfort zone, once you take out/off those headphones and start interacting with locals, or even other people visiting, that's when the real perspective gaining begins.

There's such a culture shift it's not even funny. You go from "USA! USA! USA!" to "dang, I see where we get our reputation". If you don't know what I mean by that, ask someone who's studied even one week outside of America and they'll elaborate.

Prague especially was so amazing. My academics were never hindered due to my experience as well. My partner program (UNYP) to CEA CAPA was great, for many of their own reasons and I could talk about that for a while, but we're focusing on CEA CAPA. In the study center, there are those from America or Prague/Czech Republic. All of whom were professional, engaging, interesting, and used subjects and materials that further immersed you into the city and its culture! For example, I took a class called arts and science in the golden city, and you can imagine what we studied. Not only did we do field studies in real locations with guided tours from the professors themselves, we also had assignments which forced us to go out and do some research on a given subject in itself. I use the term forced lightly, because it wasn't actually forced, it was just assigned. There was absolutely no resistance on my end from completing those tasks, because they were absolutely amazing, but that class is just one example. I could go on and on about the others, but the point is exactly what the review title states - please don't miss out on this opportunity!

My experience studying abroad in Rome was once in a lifetime. As a student studding Business Management at the University of Arizona I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity. I learned so much about Italy, gained new friendships, and a love for traveling. My experience was unique because the others students I was with are my classmates now, seeing how all of us grew over the course of 5 weeks was special and we all continue to utilize what we learned back home. Overall I would highly recommend studying abroad if the opportunity comes your way!

From the moment I landed I had a very welcoming experience with the CEA CAPA program and all the staff members of the organization. They were extremely helpful in the orientations and made it seem as if they already knew me. All the interns working int he organization and extra people helping that were from the city of Madrid were also extremely welcoming and made the experience so much more fun. The education was also very immersive and I loved the amount of field trips offered in the courses I was taking. It really helped immerse me into the Madrid culture.

In an extensive matching process, the CEA CAPA team paired me with an internship that would further my career. The internship cohort, as well as the staff, was incredibly helpful and often leaned on each other for advice and networking. The work-life balance was perfect because the staff was so understanding.

Located in the center of Europe, the location was prime for meeting other students abroad. Czech culture is welcoming and very open to foreigners! The standard of living is quite affordable compared to neighboring countries so food and groceries were not an issue! Would highly recommend pursuing an internship abroad through CEA!

My experience is Barcelona was beyond incredible. I was fortunate to spend a whole summer studying business while embracing and adhering to new cultures. I learned so much while making new friends and connections along the way. CEA CAPA provided everything I needed and performed in such an exceptional way. CEA CAPA made my life and experience so much easier while abroad. From the engaging classwork, to the school mandated field trips, I really experienced it all. One of my favorite things I experienced while abroad was a tapas cooking class.

My experience was especially unique because it was my first time abroad, I was going to a new place that was both very politically and socially busy, I had to navigate allergies abroad, scholarships, as well as cancelled flights. The CEA CAPA staff helped by answering any and all questions I had. They gave great resources to turn to if they couldn't directly help me. They taught us how to navigate a country that had elections and many protests going on. With the Olympics taking place in Paris, I was able to see much of the French pride that I came to love.

My time in Barcelona with CEA CAPA was life changing! Barcelona is the perfect place to study abroad if you love a busy city, beaches, and rich culture. I felt so immersed in the city for the 5 months that i was there. The food, people, nightlife, beautiful architecture, all make this place so special. I had the most incredible time traveling on the weekends and exploring the city on the weekdays. CEA made everything so easy and comfortable for students. I could not recommend Barcelona enough!!!

I interned for a small organic sustainable shop. Here, I was able to make a big impact on the company, and in return it made a huge impact on me. I learned about various business operations, more about marketing, running a business, and analysis. It also challenged my organization and communication skills. CEA CAPA was so supportive throughout the whole experience and I could not reccommend them enough. Importantly, this experience has allowed me to land a lot of great interviews for the upcoming summer.

I absolutely had a wonderful time in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Both were beautiful & fun cities, in Valparaíso there were so many murals on buildings & such a colorful city! CEA CAPA did a great job of supporting me through my time abroad for a year. Claudia Luco (my advisor through CEA CAPA) did an amazing job, was so kind, helped me with any questions I had academically & about visiting local towns nearby. Excursions were very fun, had yummy snacks, and was a good way to connect with other study abroad students, while better understanding Chilean culture and history. I also grew so much in my Spanish speaking skills & fluency (especially through living with my host family & meeting some of my Chilean friends).

My time abroad in Alicante was nothing short of amazing. The city is a perfect blend of all the amenities found in a big city with a small-town feel. The locals are incredibly welcoming, and I felt truly immersed in the culture living with my host family. The CEA CAPA staff were some of the most positive, caring, and helpful people I have ever met. They were always reachable, frequently checked in on how we were doing, and very knowledgeable of the city. Every excursion was also super fun and still educational and relating to what we were learning about in class. By the end of the program, I never wanted to leave!