Emma from the U.S. joined us in 2018 for our Intensive Spanish Program. Here is her story…
My interest in the Mente Argentina program first began because my freshman year roommate, and now one of my best friends, is from Argentina. Ever since we met on our first day at college, she has told me stories about her beautiful country and its culture, and I was also very impressed by her bilingualism. I have been taking French courses since I was in third grade and have continued up until my senior year of college. I have always been fascinated by language.
When I travel abroad I always make an effort to learn a few phrases, whether I’m in Greece or Denmark, in order to try to communicate with people in their native tongue. I love the French language, however, while going about my daily life in the U.S. I often find myself thinking “Wow, I wish I knew Spanish.” With the growing Latino population in the States, being able to speak Spanish would be very helpful. So when my best friend told me that she was going to Argentina for a gap year after graduation and that I should come along, I thought it seemed like a wonderful opportunity for me to explore more of the world, and to learn Spanish!
I graduated from college with majors in Global Studies and French with a minor in Business Studies. I hope to pursue a career in International Business of some sort so learning a third language would very much align with my long-term professional goals. I think that being bilingual or multilingual puts you at an advantage not only in the workplace, but also intellectually and personally because it allows you to see the world from new perspectives, and to genuinely experience and better understand cultures different from your own.
I grew up in the U.S. in a suburban wealthy town with little diversity, and all I wanted to do was get out and see the world. I had never been to Europe before so my junior year in college I decided to embark on a year-long adventure. The first semester living in Marseilles, France and the second in Paris. I had the time of my life and learned so much about people who were different from myself, who grew up speaking different languages, eating different foods, practicing different religions, perceiving the concept of time differently, and I felt like my world had opened up. From that experience I knew that I would be able to learn and grow even more during my time in South America and in Argentina.
The running joke when Emma was with us in Buenos Aires was that It doesn’t really count as a really count as a Mente event if we don’t get a solo pic of Emma. Here are some of our favorites:
