Author: Mar’Quavis Stuckett | Major: Supply Chain Management and Spanish |Semester: Summer 2024

This is a photo that I took in the arts and sciences district in Valencia, Spain. It was amazing to see these structures designed by Santiago Calatrava, and it was a full circle moment for me since I did a presentation on him the year prior.

When I took my first Spanish class in the 8th grade, I knew that I wanted to reach a level of proficiency where I could confidently say that I was bilingual. Although I did not know much about studying abroad when I came to the University of Arkansas, after learning more about it, I would make it one of my goals to take the next steps toward reaching that level of proficiency. I figured that studying abroad in a Spanish-speaking country would be the best route for me—not only because I wanted to become immersed in the language to increase my fluency but also to fulfill my Spanish major requirements. Luckily, I was blessed with the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain, this summer at Universidad Nebrija.

At Nebrija, I found an excellent intensive Spanish Language summer program. This program consisted of two sessions, Summer 1 and 2. I was fortunate enough to participate in both sessions, which allowed me to take four Spanish courses, ranging from Advanced Spanish Grammar to Spanish History and Culture. These courses increased my Spanish fluency and taught me a lot about Spanish customs and societal expectations. My professors were exceptional, teaching students from various countries, cultures, and native languages, they challenged us to look outside of the scope of our own nations and learn through a global lens. This was important given the classroom diversity because we often had differing perspectives on certain topics. I can specifically recall a moment in my Spanish History and Culture course when we learned about the various governmental systems that ruled Spain before their current parliamentary monarchy system, which includes Prime Minister Carlos Sanchez and King Felipe VI from the Borbon family. It was fascinating to compare not only our representative democracy to Spain’s parliamentary monarchy but also to hear students from countries such as Thailand, Switzerland, and Morocco compare the structure of their different governments. This experience was such an eye-opener because it solidified my understanding of how vast the world is and how various ideas are not inherently better or worse than one another—they are just different.

Building on this idea of differences, my perspective began to change. I began to speak more freely without getting tripped over finding the “perfect” word, and I also started to look at businesses differently. As someone who is also majoring in Supply Chain Management, I wanted to maximize my time in Spain by maximizing the similarities and differences between how businesses approached their consumers and how consumers, in turn, interacted with the businesses. I was able to observe a great deal, especially in the food service industry, as I regularly enjoyed tapas with my friends after class.

In addition to these insights, Spain’s thousands of years of rich history offered plenty of learning experiences outside of the classroom. The museums, palaces, and other historical sites I visited reinforced the depth of various cultures’ influence on Spain. Although I lived in Madrid, the Spanish capital, I had the opportunity to explore other cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, Toledo, Bilbao, and Bermeo. Each of these cities is located in different autonomous communities, a concept similar to our states, but with their own distinct culture, local language, climate, and geography, making them uniquely different. Out of everything I saw in Spain, the most fascinating were the tombs in El Escorial, located outside of Madrid. I saw generations of kings, queens, and other royal family members in the tombs of El Escorial, with the most ancient of them dating back to the 16th century.

Reflecting on my time in Spain, I realize that this experience is something I will never forget. It was a life-changing opportunity. I am grateful that I had the to learn more about Spanish and observe a piece of Spanish culture. My time in Spain allowed me to connect with diverse individuals from all over the world with whom I hope to keep in contact. I enjoyed every moment in Spain, from the siestas, to the historical sites and the tapas. I had an enriching experience and would urge other students to study abroad in Madrid, Spain and see how the Madridleños do it!