Group studies history, language, literature abroad

While many students enjoyed a summer off, others spent their summer studying abroad. "It was an amazing experience; being able to be fully immersed in another culture really makes you question and redefine what you've seen before," said Mario Martinez, a graduate student who went to England this summer.In conjunction with Associate professor Dr. Stephen Duffy, Program leader and Associate professor Dr. Kevin Lindberg took a group of students to study history, language and literature in England this summer. The students departed on June 2 and returned on July 3. Their destination was the University of Leeds, but they also got to visit many of England's popular attractions.Few of the many excursions they took include The Tower of London, The Globe, Westminster Abbey, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and Greenwich Market.For Erica Matos, a senior English major, studying abroad was a life-changing experience."It [studying abroad] enriched so many aspects of my life; not only did I get to witness firsthand the culture which I have studied for four years, but I also got a taste of what it is like to live on my own," she said.After attending so many excursions, some of the students had a difficult time deciding on their favorite location; however, after asking three different students what their highlight of the trip was, all three had a different answer.Martinez said Westminster Abbey was the "highlight" of his trip; Matos, however, chose the Tower of London, and Luis Ramirez, a senior English major, said, "If I absolutely had to pick one, it would probably be our visit to Stratford-Upon-Avon.""Here we visited both William Shakespeare's birthplace and his grave. The grave itself is such a simplistic monument to perhaps the most important writer in the English language," said Ramirez.Although studying abroad might seem as a moment of vulnerability due to living in a foreign country, the students do agree that the citizens of England were, for the most part, friendly and glad to learn about a new culture themselves."Not once did I ever get treated any differently for being an American," said Martinez, adding, "If anything, people were more interested in me when they found out I was from Texas."Along with Language and Literature in England, other study abroad programs offered this summer were Business in France; Language and Culture in Hong Kong; Political Science in Mexico; Language and Culture in Mexico; Business in Netherlands; Language and Literature in Spain; and Anthropology, Education, Music, and Sociology in Taiwan. The deadline for studying abroad in the upcoming Spring semester is October 1; the deadline for summer varies between February and April depending on the program chosen. Although studying abroad might seem expensive, scholarships and financial aid are available. Monica Luna, an English major and new editor-in-chief of The Bridge, said, "Look at it as a great investment; you are paying for your education, and studying abroad is the best hands-on experience you can ever receive."Available scholarships are the International Education Scholarship Fee (IEFS) and the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez International Fellows Scholarship (GLM-IFS). Other national competitive scholarships are also available. "Sometimes you will long for familiarity in family, friends, and Whataburger, but it is all worth it," said Matos."Find a program of interest and start saving now; don't let money hinder your decision," she continued.Some last words of advice for someone who is interested in studying abroad are to simply go for it."Do what it takes to go; the world is a big place, and any given person has only experienced a small fraction of it" said Ramirez, "So, get out there, explore, experience, and live."