Tevian, a second-year atmospheric science major and Spanish and media production analysis minor, participated in the Spain Global May program in Madrid, Spain, in May 2018.
"My most transformational moment was most likely at the San Isidro Festival in Madrid," said Tevian Whitehurst. "It was a traditional festival celebrating patron Saint Isidore. Locals everywhere were wearing cultural garments, and there were multiple celebrations throughout the city, including a carnival! There was amazing food, and I was interacting so well with the other festival-goers. I really felt like a part of culture."
"The Spain Global May program was focused on the various peoples that have been in power in Spain, and how/where we can find their influence to this day. We furthered our studies by traveling to cities throughout the country. In addition to the homestay in Madrid, we also traveled to Segovia, Toledo, Santander, and Bilbao. I chose Spain because I’ve always been infatuated with the country and its complex culture; plus, I’m a Spanish minor, so I really wanted to take the opportunity to envelop myself in the culture and practice my language skills."
Tevian was awarded the Keith and Linda Monda Scholarship and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Study Abroad Scholarship, and said without these scholarships, studying abroad would not have been possible.
"Those scholarships honestly made the trip possible to begin with. Being out-of-state, things can get pricey very quickly, and these scholarships made it so much more manageable for my family and I."
"I would 100% recommend studying abroad to literally everyone. Although America is amazingly diverse, there are still so many ways of life that we don’t see, and there’s a lot we can learn from them! From Spain in particular (and this is really applicable throughout Europe), I’ve learned to take time to relax and enjoy life versus always pushing my education and future career. Getting a taste of another lifestyle helps you not only appreciate that culture, but also improve your own life a little bit!"
