Author: Ella Koerkenmeier | Major: Biology & Spanish | Semester: Summer 2025
University of Nebrija
Hi! My name is Ella Koerkenmeier and I’m a junior, majoring in Biology and Spanish, at the University of Arkansas. I spent last June in Madrid with the program AIFS-Madrid, Spain: Summer 2025. I chose to study in Madrid because I wanted to strengthen my Spanish speaking skills while immersed in a setting very rich in culture. The program I chose offered me a little of everything from culture and academics to daily opportunities to gain experience speaking. My interest in learning the Spanish language started with a passion for connecting language with culture in healthcare settings.
Effective communication is essential for healthcare professionals to treat their patients with the most compassionate care. The United States has a constantly growing Spanish-speaking population so fluency in Spanish is becoming increasingly beneficial. As the capital of Spain, Madrid served as the perfect environment to learn about the culture of Spain and also gain practice speaking the language. One of my favorite parts of being there was getting to see monuments, buildings, and museums that I learned about in class in real-time.
Over the course of the month, I took two classes at the University of Nebrija. Both classes, taught entirely in Spanish, further pushed my communication skills to higher levels. My professor was a wonderful person who clearly had a passion for fueling the passions of her students. Of the two classes I took, my favorite was Intro to Spanish Literature. My teacher taught us about important decades in Spanish history through different stories everyday. She was extremely animated which kept us intrigued and entertained, while also helping our comprehension when listening to Spanish vocabulary. I left each school day with a new understanding of some important historical event and more resources to then explore it on my own.
Though I learned a lot in school, I also learned a lot through daily life. I had to speak Spanish every day, whether it was ordering at restaurants, getting help with directions, or even talking with my host family. While there, I visited the Royal Palace, Parque del Retiro, and many other places. I also took a weekend trip to Toledo, where I got to take a guided tour around the city.
The most important lesson that I learned abroad was adaptability. The feeling of being a foreigner in a different country is very intense and requires a lot of patience and perseverance. Having to adjust to cultural shock while living in an unknown place by myself taught me a lot of independence. I also gained a new understanding of how it must feel for people to travel to the United States and try to make a life for themselves here. I think this new understanding will help me to be a better doctor to people from all different backgrounds.
My time in Madrid truly changed who I am as a person. I got to see the world through a new perspective and gain life-changing experiences, all while improving my Spanish language fluency. I know for certain that the lessons I learned in Spain will stay with me throughout my life and guide me in my future career in healthcare.