Mya Leonforte

During my experience, I spent my spring semester studying abroad with CEA CAPA in Barcelona, Spain. Through this experience I got to take classes at the CEA CAPA center, as well as volunteer at a local Barcelona high school as an English Teaching Assistant, working to teach students English. While this whole experience has been amazing, my favorite part has been getting to connect with local students and faculty through my time volunteering at a local school. I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much more about Barcelona and the culture, as well as get to practice my Spanish a lot!

Something that surprised me about this experience was how quickly language can be picked up when you are immersed in it. While the majority of my classes are taught in English, being surrounded by the Spanish language and seeing it on signs and also having it spoken to me through many different facets has allowed me to pick up the language quickly. Initially, I was worried about contributing to society and the broader community with my lack of Spanish, but I thankfully have been able to pick up a lot of the language from my environment and the people around me.

Some of the most important skills I have learned here regarding communication with those without a shared language are things I plan to take into my life back into the USA. Additionally, I plan to keep up my spanish language skills by continuing to consume media and read books in Spanish in order to maintain and improve my proficiency and level of understanding.

Receiving an award from honors allowed me the opportunity to explore all around Spain as well as other parts of Europe. Prior to this experience, I had never been to Europe, or outside of the United States at all. Now, I can say I have been to Germany, London, Paris, Hungary, and Austria and will have the opportunity to travel to even more places thanks to the funds provided by honors. Through my travels, I have learned a lot about how different people in different countries live and have gotten a more holistic view of the world overall. This experience has taught me a lot about how I can be a more adaptable and culturally aware and responsive person, two things I believe will help tremendously in my professional life. I have learned to be more aware of my surroundings and the cultural lifestyle of those around me, and to be more aware and welcoming to these different ways of living. To be culturally responsive and adaptable is something integral for all professions, but especially for teachers who will be tasked with teaching students from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds.

I want to shoutout Syracuse School of Education for making this experience possible. For many education programs around the country, graduating on time and studying abroad are not feasible in the typical Fall-Spring semester schedule. I am so grateful that Syracuse SOE places an emphasis on experiences outside the classroom and around the world. I also am grateful to my advisors who were able to ensure I was able to have this opportunity while still adhering to my school requirements!