Learning abroad is an unforgettable affair—one that can’t come more highly recommended. In this Q&A series, students and alumni of the Spanish and Portuguese studies department describe how their trips have enriched their lives and given them nuanced perspectives of the languages and cultures they study.

Kathleen Ganley started teaching service-learning classes with the Latino community in 1996. This January, she took a class to the US/Mexico border. Her students returned with an acute understanding of the reality that migrants face when attempting to immigrate to the US.

College in the Schools is a program that provides highly motivated high school students the opportunity to take college courses in a high school setting—with the chance to earn college credit, too. Cristina Castro, who coordinates the CIS Spanish program, explains the program’s impact on students and how it engages Minnesota’s high schools with the University.

After the far-right government executed more than 3,000 young civilians, many Colombian mothers have become dedicated social activists. As part of a Grand Challenge Research Initiative grant and the CLA Dean’s First-Year Research & Creative Scholars Program, a trio of undergraduate students traveled to Soacha, Colombia to interview some of these women. Olivia Nortwen, Sydney Provinzino, and Kylie Sievers explore how mothers are transforming the Colombian social landscape. Their research received the award for “Best Scholarly Presentation” at the 2018 Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Conference.