Absolutely AMAZING experience + program staff + academics

I absolutely loved my time in La Habana, Cuba. I completed a summer term that lasted 3 weeks. My time in Cuba was fascinating and left me with a widened perspective on the World.

Academics: I took two courses, Dances of the Caribbean and Social Movements in Latin America. Both courses had fantastic instructors and followed a relaxed but meaningful course structure (i.e., classes were not difficult and very interesting!). Classes consisted of half field trips and half in-person discussion/lecture/videos. The classroom was air-conditioned, which was very important because it was incredibly hot!

Program Staff: The professors + USAC staff members were fantastic. The professors were incredibly passionate about what they were teaching. One of our professors was from Cincinnati, and the other was local to La Habana. It was nice having a professor from the U.S. because she was just as curious as we were! The program staff were on call 24 hours of day and were willing to help you with absolutely anything, whether that was figuring out where to exchange money, getting a SIM card for your phone, or recommending fun places/activities to go to in your free time.

Experience: Studying in Cuba for a month was not always easy, but it was incredibly impactful. The heat was brutal, and access to basic goods was a toss-up as to whether or not they were available. Many of us got sick from the heat/food/dehydration in the first couple of days. With that said, it was absolutely worth it for the rest of the experience. My homestay family was warm, welcoming, and supportive. The locals we talked to were friendly and inviting. The scenery was unlike anything I'd ever seen, though be warned, there was a fair amount of dilapidation. One thing to note: the beach was AMAZING. You could walk in the water for what felt like forever; the water was so incredibly warm, and the waves were gentle.

Overall, Cuba was an amazing, challenging, and perspective-altering experience that I am so glad I decided to embark upon.