Amanda M., Former Intern in Madrid (2012)
From time to time, we like to catch up with our former intern and study abroad candidates. Of course, many have used their experience with Adelante Abroad as a stepping stone onto bigger and better things in their lives. Nothing gives us greater joy than hearing about how their experiences affected and impacted them. The following is an example of this.
Madrid. Ah, Madrid. There is no place quite like it. The people, history, culture, food, and transportation systems are nothing short of amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 months in the heart of Spain. I had a hard time adjusting at first because my Spanish-speaking abilities were very basic upon arrival. However, after taking a two week intensive language course with native speakers and becoming immersed in the culture, I became much more confident in my ability to communicate with others.
I was fortunate to meet other interns in the Adelante program while in Madrid. We were able to take trips on the weekends to other cities in Spain as well as other nearby countries! It was so wonderful to be able to experience so many cities and countries in the short time I was there. My internship placement was teaching English to immigrant children. I enjoyed the children so much! They were a lot of fun and very forgiving that my Spanish wasn’t that great yet. We were able to teach each other while I was interning there. I’ll never forget those little ones! They definitely taught me that connection with each other surpasses language.
This internship gave me such an enriching experience as not only a person, but as a professional as well. Since my internship, I have had potential employers tell me that my resume stood out not only for my credentials, but because I had done an internship abroad! I’m so happy that I was able to have the opportunity to do an internship in a country I love, as well as in my own field as an early childhood development professional. What an amazing experience! I’ll never forget it!
-Amanda M.
Then: University of Missouri M.S. Graduate, Early Childhood and Family Development
Now: Pre-Kindergarten Lead Teacher, Austin, TX