Amazing Opportunity

I did a 4-month program with Adelante at a small software development company in Viña del Mar. Learning new coding languages while still getting used to Chilean Spanish was really hard at first, but everyone in the office was super patient with me. Of course there were some awkward moments where I couldn’t understand what they were asking me or telling me to type, but we all laughed through them together. I now feel confident that I can work in software in any Spanish-speaking country.

The Adelante program coordinator in Viña del Mar, Pamela, is incredibly nice and supportive. About halfway through my internship I felt really stressed with my progress at work, and when I told Pamela she was immediately ready to talk it through with me and adjust my role. That ended up not being necessary since I talked my fears through with a coworker, but nonetheless I felt like Pamela was really in my corner.

Viña del Mar itself felt almost like a perfect city to me. Super walkable, filled with shops and restaurants, right on the ocean, and an overall relaxed way of life. Viña and Valparaiso were great locations for learning about Chilean culture, especially compared to fast-paced Santiago. Everyone I met in Viña was kind and welcoming, from the enthusiastic teachers in my dance classes to the ice cream shop employee who memorized my order. If you’re looking to have an awesome experience abroad, I can’t recommend this program enough.