Trip to Spain Is An Unforgettable Experience for Northwest Vista College Students

This summer, Dr. Pilar Damron, Northwest Vista College Spanish instructor, accompanied six NVC students on a study abroad program to Spain. Over a three-week period, the students shared apartments and took classes with other international students at the Centro de Lenguas e Intercambio Cultural in Seville, Spain, the leading Spanish language school in the city. The courses offered were Intermediate Spanish and World Cultures. Of the three NVC students who took six credits, two received $750 scholarships from the Alamo Community Colleges. 

“In order to get the most out of learning a foreign language, you must go abroad and experience different cultures,” said Dr. Damron. “Through this program, our students combined learning the language with a study of the Spanish culture. They were able to put themselves in a global context.”

The students participated in numerous cultural activities and excursions, such as visiting the El Prado Museum in Madrid, the Alhambra palace in Granada, the Gothic Cathedral of Seville, and legendary sites of the famous character Don Juan. The students dined at local restaurants with their international peers and also attended a bullfight, a popular Spanish pastime.

In an effort to gain support for the study abroad program, Damron, along with Northwest Vista College administrators and faculty, has formed an international study abroad committee that will explore ways to increase funding for the program and improve coordination between the college and the District.

“This was not only a valuable learning experience for my students, but for me as well,” said Pilar, who, during the trip, encouraged her students to manage basic tasks on their own, such as translating currency and conversing with the locals in Spanish.

Angelica Esparza, a pharmacy major who plans to minor in Spanish when she transfers to the University of the Incarnate Word next year, signed up for the study abroad program to increase her vocabulary and learn different Spanish dialects.  

“It was important for me to see the different cultures that we, as Americans, do not see if we don’t travel,” she said. “I learned to appreciate the culture in Spain, which is very different from ours. This experience also taught me to appreciate the simple things in life, things we take for granted in America. Spaniards are very sociable people who believe that while work is important, it should not consume their lives. They take siestas during the day, to spend time with their families and get replenished. I loved visiting Spain. It was a beautiful, humbling experience.”

Angelica enjoyed her study abroad experience so much that she plans to return to Spain next summer with her nine-year-old daughter.

“I want to give her an opportunity to experience the Spanish culture in a different country,” she said.