Applied Learning in Salamanca

EWU Study Abroad is gaining momentum after Covid-19 interrupted global travel.

This summer a group of students in EWU’s Spanish Program, part of the Department of History, Anthropology, Modern Languages & Literatures, studied in Salamanca, Spain, at the Colegio Delibes.

Their trip was organized by EWU professors Natalia Ruiz-Rubio and José García Sánchez, in cooperation with the Colegio Delibes faculty.

The 5-credit course, offered by the Global Studies Office, provided the students with an opportunity to study abroad for three weeks, helping them improve their Spanish language skills while sharpening their interpersonal-communication abilities and cultural competency.

Salamanca is a historic city of 150,000 that is recognized internationally as a premier location for learning Spanish. Eastern students who travel to Colegio Delibes experience cultural events in a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to the University of Salamanca, one of the world’s oldest institutions of higher learning.

The program includes full immersion in Spanish language and culture. Students take classes in the morning while living with a caring host family and participating in a wide range of experiential learning activities such as cooking, art appreciation and field trips exploring local history and architecture.

Several students who participated in the program in Salamanca over the summer gave it high marks for applied learning that will help them build in-roads in their careers.

Mikaela Meek, a double major in political science and Spanish, shared a little about her experience, saying, the opportunity significantly advanced her professional goals.

“I’ve had the privilege of getting to know people from all over the world, each with their unique cultures, and I got immersed in Spanish. For my career, I plan to work with refugees and immigrants speaking Spanish, and this experience has been invaluable in improving my ability to communicate in Spanish,” Meek said.

Meek enjoyed connecting with fellow students and the host families, saying, “The friendships I’ve formed at Colegio Delibes are truly unforgettable. I recommend this study abroad to everyone who is motivated to advance their professional goals through language immersion!”

Tara Kelsey, who is majoring in Spanish education, said the trip to Spain gave her a new appreciation for the world and taught her valuable lessons she will use in her future career as a teacher.

“In the beginning, being in a new country and speaking a different language was challenging, but now it feels like a second home for me. It is shocking because I would never have imagined creating an entire family of friends in only three weeks. For this reason, I am thankful and inspired to study abroad again,” Kelsey said.

Carissa Morrison, a double major in biology and Spanish, shared that the “most surprising part about my trip to Salamanca was how quickly my Spanish began improving upon my arrival. I was blessed with the kindest, most loving host family, and they helped me practice my conservation skills a lot in my first few weeks,” Morrison said.

“For me specifically, as a future scientist who wants to teach and research abroad, I have been overjoyed to learn about all of the opportunities to get a job as a bilingual researcher in another country, said Morrison, who connected with students from 17 different countries across the world.”

**You can learn more and apply for the Summer 2025 session in Spain online. This study abroad course costs $2,500 and students need a GPA of 2.5 and above to participate.