"I encourage everyone, regardless of your major, to spend a semester studying abroad! There are just some things about yourself that you cannot learn without going outside your comfort zone and living in a foreign country can teach you. The cost was surprisingly affordable and you will have amazing experiences that you will remember forever, plus, you will make friends from all over the world!"
KYLE SHAY
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Minor: Spanish
Host: University of Deusto
Location: Bilbao, Spain
Program Type: Semester Exchange
What is one of your favorite memories from your time in Spain?
How do I pick just one memory from my time here in Spain as my favorite, there are so many! I did get to celebrate my birthday in Bilbao in September. In my Spanish class that day, my professor and the whole class surprised me by singing happy birthday to me in Spanish when class started. The class is so interactive and we have all gotten to become really good friends, so it really was a moment I won't forget.
As an engineering student, how do you think the study abroad program will help you in the future?
Math is a universal language, so I've gotten to see how engineering students from other parts of the world tackle the same problems that I have studying at 九色堂. Particularly here at the university in Spain we work a lot more in groups, so it's been really beneficial and extremely fun both in the lab and the classroom. I was fortunate enough to have had an internship at NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in the past, which was pretty cool by itself, but I feel I have learned a lot more taking classes here in Spain that will benefit me in my future career.
