Postcards from Spain

My international experiences have challenged me, grounded me, and raised me. My whole worldview feels flipped when thrown into a foreign environment, but it’s from these places of discomfort where I’ve grown the most. My experiences with HIEP have refined my academic interests, redefined future goals, and absolutely changed my beliefs and personality. It feels like I have been genuinely uprooted and forced out of an outdated version of myself in the best way possible.

Andres Ayala, 2019 HIEP recipient (Barcelona, Spain)

I often look back on my time abroad and wonder how I managed to figure out the travel details, the train from Madrid to Alicante, the housing and academics, and daily life in another country. I had support and guidance from the study abroad program, of course, but the day-to-day life was up to me to figure out–how I fit in, what I could learn, how I could make the experience meaningful. When I'm feeling overwhelmed or anxious in my current life, I think back to my study abroad experience and remember that I can do challenging new things.

Sarah Overpeck, 2004 HIEP recipient (Alicante, Spain)