The Cuba Fellowship Study Abroad Program

Cuba is absolutely amazing. I was blown away by how safe, nice (even the slum-streets of Havana are cleaner than NYC), and inexpensive traveling in Cuba was. I was also blown away by how much traveling with such an amazing group of people, specifically the cohort I was on that was brought together by The Cuba Fellowship, makes a difference in the study abroad experience. They really screen who they allow to come on the trip to ensure the optimal learning environment and adventure for the whole group. It really makes a huge difference in traveling with amazing people that can amplify the amount of Cuba you experience together. I couldn't be more thankful for the program The Cuba Fellowship developed and that I had the opportunity to go on.

I go to school with a lot of rich people that can and have traveled anywhere they want in the world. However, until recently, it was impossible to visit Cuba--and even now, the ability to go is restricted to excuses to enter the country such as studying abroad. I got a kick out of the fact that my travels made them jealous. But Cuba is much more than just a bragging right, and The Cuba fellowship is far more than just an excuse to enter Cuba. The Cuba Fellowship provides you with the guides, support, and pairs you with the right students through their cohorts to maximize your learning and experience while in Cuba. Even if it were possible to travel to Cuba for cheaper on your own, which I doubt, I still would choose going with The Cuba Fellowship every time because the way they have designed their program allows you to see, learn, and experience four-fold what you could discover during the same time period on your own.

The Cuba Fellowship was an extraordinary experience. I really got to experience Cuba, and not just the fancy tourist areas. We stayed in a colorful neighborhood just outside of the main tourist areas, so I got a chance to practice my very basic Spanish with locals: ordering food, negotiating cab rides, exchanging money, etc. It was a pleasant surprise discovering that I could actually get pretty far with the couple years of Spanish that I had.

The program itself was a blast! I learned so much about the country. The trips were fun, educational, and creative. The other fellows were all friendly and impressively accomplished, and I was glad that we were all able to become so close through the course of the trip. I highly recommend the Cuba Fellowship to anyone interested in experiencing a truly unique culture at an historic time. You’ve got to have a sense of adventure, but if you do, it will be well worth your time.