Chaeyun Park

My semester in Madrid was one of the most meaningful times of my life. Living with a host mom helped me fully immerse myself in the language and culture, and I learned so much just from our daily conversations. I took courses like Cross-Cultural Psychology (PSY 375) and Arts of Spain (HOA 209), which pushed me outside of my major and helped me see things through a more human, cultural lens. One of my favorite parts was a 10-day seminar on the Mediterranean Sea, where I got to snorkel, scuba dive, and learn about marine biodiversity. Traveling around Spain and to other countries opened my eyes to how big and diverse the world is, and I came home with a deeper sense of independence and curiosity. 

I was surprised by how quickly I adjusted to communicating solely in Spanish, especially with my host mom. I had expected the language barrier to be more difficult, but our consistent effort to speak only Spanish, without translation apps, helped me gain fluency faster than I anticipated. I also didn’t realize how emotionally impactful the Marine Ecology seminar would be. Learning through hands-on experiences like snorkeling and diving made me reflect more deeply on environmental issues. 

Building on this experience, I plan to keep improving my Spanish and growing my global perspective by seeking out international projects or rotations in my future role at Samsung Electronics. I also hope to share my study abroad journey with other students, especially business majors, to encourage them to explore courses outside their usual path, like the Marine Ecology seminar, which really expanded the way I think about the world.