Summer of 2023, I had the privilege of traveling to Madrid, Spain by way of the MSU Summer Engineering program. The experience did not disappoint! The adventure allowed me the opportunity to dive into the culture, learn the language with daily, practical application, and pushed me out of my educational comfort zone with Material Science Engineering. I used every moment during these magical six weeks to expand my knowledge, both in acculturation and intellectual exploration. I will always be beyond grateful for this unforgettable, transformative journey.

The program included spectacular guided tours around the city of Madrid and Toledo. Our guide shared not only history, but stories of successes, hardships, and ingenuity as we moved in and out of the brick streets. We visited beautiful churches and learned the importance of Catholicism in Spanish history, but surprisingly also Muslim due to its proximity to northern Africa. I also had the privilege of seeing beautiful artwork. Masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Hieronymus Bosch, and Francisco de Goya were only a few of the many I was gifted to see in person, which now I understand is the only way to truly experience and understand their impact.

Not only did I learn about the history of Spain, but I also got to be a bit of a cultural anthropologist and study how the people of Spain live their everyday lives. Mealtimes in Spain I found very different as lunch was served at two and dinner not until nine thirty! For an American that gets “hungry” it was an adjustment, but a willing one once the decadent pain au chocolat, or chocolate croissant, was discovered and incorporated as a must-have daily snack. The people were also very relaxed and would joke about needing a siesta, or nap, in the middle of the workday, something I think we should consider adopting into the “always on the go” American culture. My free time was spent visiting my favorite flea market, El Rastro, where I would find unique trinkets, treasures from local artists, and converse in lively conversations with the locals.

Having previously taken four years of the Spanish language, I quickly learned that the classroom and real-life applications of speaking a foreign language provide much different results. Along with the day to day speaking of Spanish, the program provided a Spanish class for four weeks with amazing professors that exposed me to new vocabulary, grammar, and important conversational inflection. As the class continued, I noticed that my ability to speak with Madrid locals became more fluid, more natural. My favorite use of the recently acquired skill was to ask for tap water at restaurants and if the bread they placed on the table was free to see the look of surprise of the serving staff.

I believe that going on a study abroad experience is the best way to learn a language as you use it all day, every day. Returning to MSU, I hope to join a club or make new friends to maintain this skill and continue to nurture it throughout the year.

Of course, a key component of the program was participating in the Material Science Engineering course. While my primary interest has been the study of chemicals, I was fascinated by lectures presenting the crystal structure of materials and the properties associated with different crystal lattices. I could have taken the course in the United States, however learning it in Spain taught me an invaluable lesson- engineering can be applied in different ways in different countries due to vastly ranging regulations. For example, certain food dyes are banned in Spain while they are legal in the United States, as well as specific preservatives(parabens). As a result of this revelation, I plan to continue my education of global engineering regulations to aid in my career goal of generating economical, environmentally friendly products to consumers.

To those of you reading, there are vacations and then there are experiences that change your life, the six weeks I spent in Spain will be with me forever. It taught me so much more than science, history, or cultural facts, it taught me how to listen more, adapt to an unfamiliar world, and appreciate differences. I would recommend studying abroad to everyone, step out of your comfort zone and take a chance. You will come back with friends, life lessons, and unforgettable memories. A monumental thank you to all the coordinators, professors, and classmates that helped to make the program a once in a lifetime event. I would also like to sincerely thank those that coordinated and provided the Education Abroad Academic Excellence Award so that I was able to capitalize on this opportunity. I now start my sophomore year a better human and a better Spartan. Thank you!

Name: Aurora Criswell
Status: Sophomore
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hometown: Springboro, Ohio
Program: Summer Engineering in Madrid