CEA CAPA Education Abroad Reviews

I had an amazing time with CEA CAPA in San José, Costa Rica, during the Spring 2025 semester! The program included trips to Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Manuel Antonio, for 3 weekends in February, which were all amazing. I took intensive Spanish classes five days a week, three hours a day, with fantastic professors who really helped me improve my Spanish significantly. Universidad Veritas was small and mostly filled with other study abroad students. Traveling on the weekends was super easy, I took the bus and went to explore Uvita, Jaco, Tamarindo, and even the Caribbean coast with friends on my own. I went on lots of hikes, saw many waterfalls and cool wildlife, it was a very adventurous experience.

I loved all the experiences we had while abroad in London! I attended a total of 14 shows while I was there for 2 weeks and CEA CAPA planned a bunch of extra excursions and tours that we did as a class separately. They were great places to learn more about the history and growth of theatre in London. The friendly staff welcomed us every day as we came to the lovely facility for class. I was able to get around to and from the facility easily and I felt safe while doing so. Even though this was a class, the other students on this trip and I had a great time.

I truly had the most amazing study abroad experience. Walking into a program knowing nobody, CEA CAPA provided me with a space to meet new people and gave me opportunities to learn about Spanish culture. I was able to acquire a volunteer position where I taught local adults how to speak English. This opportunity gave me the chance to meet locals and immerse myself in their culture while also giving back to the community.

CEA CAPA also provided a weekly newsletter with a very clear outline of the events that they were offering for the week ahead. For busy students in a new city, this newsletter was extremely helpful. AICAP activities were another provided resource for students, allowing me to go to a cooking class and attend an FC Barcelona football match.

Going abroad can be scary but I never once felt like my program wasn't there to support me. From the very beginning with coordinating zoom calls to communication with my arrival, language lessons to get adjusted, and amazing support from staff onsite, I was able to focus on getting the most out of my experience in a new city with new people. CEA CAPA was there for me when I was dealing with stress from organizing my class schedule and numerous other times whenever a problem arose. They offered so many extra activities that I never felt lonely during my time in Spain. They helped introduce me to so many cultural experiences in Spain like Flamenco dancing, Sevillanas, food, and travel to other cities. If I could have stayed another semester abroad in Seville with CEA CAPA, I would have! I would do this experience a million times over with CEA CAPA and can't recommend it enough!

I got to live in Florence for two and a half months this summer with CEA CAPA's internship abroad program. Because I was already fluent in Italian and interested in government work, the wonderful staff managed to place me in the President's office of the Regional Government of Tuscany! I had an amazing work experience, and got to create and lead an intercultural relations project that will result in a better experience and more governmental support for future study abroad students. I also loved the paired cultural class, that taught students about intercultural differences and what it takes to work abroad.
Outside of work and class, CEA CAPA made sure we had opportunities to travel with four different day trips, explore the city with frequent tours and events, and meet other students with sports and art days. The staff was amazing, and every single one of them clearly loved their job and helping students.
I also explored a lot on my own, joining a martial arts gym to continue my practice and training, and renting a violin and playing a few gigs. If I had the chance to do this again, I absolutely would!

I never planned on studying abroad. It just wasn’t something I thought was for me. But one of my professors kept bringing up the FYGO Sevilla program in class that she was part of the team that ran it and eventually I thought, why not? Maybe I should give life a chance and see what’s out there.

And no, I didn’t go abroad to “find myself.” I went because I felt stuck. Like I was living in between who I was and who I wanted to do. I chose Sevilla because it felt far enough to feel some type of cultural shock, but close enough to still feel familiar. I didn’t expect it to change me the way it did.

From the start, I noticed I was one of the only ethnic students in my program. It wasn’t super obvious, but it showed up in the way people bonded over how they been to Spain before with their family, or how I had to explain my family’s migration story like it was something exotic. I felt invisible sometimes and it was hard to make friends at first. But Sevilla held me anyway. The city felt like a place where i can be a whole new person and paint myself a new picture.

One of the best parts of my experience was my art and architecture class with Laura Tinajero. She’s a certified tour guide and a grad student in Women’s History, so she knew everything about Sevilla. She’d talk about women in leadership and call them “lady bosses,” which I loved. She made us feel comfortable asking questions and engaging and thats where I stared to feel myself adjusting to my new environment and to be proud. I still think about that class all the time.

I traveled solo a lot to near by touristic cities in Andalusia like Granada, Málaga, Tarifa, and Cádiz. I got lost more than once, google map sucks when you are in a maze like city. I would cried in my room because I missed my dog. But I also go out and dance with local college students from the University of Sevilla. I would shared stories over how much I dislike iberico ham with old ladies at the bus stop, and learned how to be alone without feeling lonely. Those moments taught me more than any textbook ever could.

A little fun fact: Morocco is a one hour boat ride from Spain so GO RIDE A CAMEL!! It was so fun SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT

Studying abroad in Sevilla pushed me to stop relying on others so much. It was hard at first especially when most people already knew each other but I had to find the courage to do things solo.

CEA CAPA made this possible.

I always tell people anyone can study abroad. It’s not just for upperclassmen or students whose families take summer vacations and want an excuse to travel again. I want people in my community to know there’s support out there financial aid, resources, and especially the CEA CAPA scholarship program. I want to be that person who stands out and shows others that it’s okay to take up space, even when it feels unfamiliar.

If you’re thinking about studying abroad and you’re not sure you’ll fit in, go anyway!

Choosing to study in Aix-en-Provence through CEA CAPA's study abroad program was one of the best decisions I made during my academic career. As a French major, I was looking for somewhere to learn French, connect with others, and experience France in a slower way than Paris. The advisors, other students, and host parents in Aix were some of the kindest, most helpful people I have ever met. I came away from the experience with much-improved French skills, incredible travel stories, and amazing memories. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to experience France and/or learn French!

It was my first time in France and I can say I honestly loved it. Grenoble was very beautiful and very community friendly. I loved how accessible the city is. Public transportation take you everywhere and I loved that. I loved that there was a lot to do outside the program like hike up the bastille alongside the many different museums. I was inspired by how Grenoble integrates nature into daily life, with mountains always in view and green spaces through the city. The food was always fresh and preservative free. It showed me that sustainability is cultural, it was made to be apart of everyday life in Grenoble, which pushes me to want to start bringing that to my community.

My time in Aix-en-Provence was a dream. The program is super immersive. The CEA CAPA team took us on regional excursions and trips. Each IAU course takes you on a field trip and relates the information to the regional context. I made lifelong friends, ate AMAZING local foods, and spent some time traveling around the Mediterranean. 10/10 would do it again. If you want to go to France but don't want your home base to be in a city as big as Paris or Marseille, Aix-en-Provence is the perfect place for you.

My time abroad was truly unforgettable. I was able to learn so much about myself and immerse into the culture. I studied in Florence, however, one of the greatest experiences I had abroad took place in Rome. I was able to connect with ancestors that live in Rome! On top of that, my Italian language course was super beneficial to my experience. All my course teachers enjoyed learning from us just as much as we enjoyed learning about them. We had a lovely apartment through CEA CAPA in the middle of the Santa Croce neighborhood. One of the best parts about CEA CAPA is all the events they set up for the students. We were able to do day trips, knitting classes, museum tours, cooking classes, and so much more! It was super simple to sign up and show up which kept us busy while being away from home and getting used to our new envoirnment.