Viviana Preston used a college requirement as an opportunity for personal rediscovery as she immersed herself in the culture of the birthplace of her native language.   

Students enrolled in the Spanish major at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith are required to complete at least one study abroad course before graduation. 

Choosing a primarily Spanish-speaking country to fulfill the requirement was simple for Viviana, a native Spanish speaker with family roots in Colombia.  

“I picked Spain,” she said. “I’ve visited several Central- and South American countries and heard those regional dialects, and I wanted to immerse myself in a different one.” 

Viviana shared that she was curious to learn more about how Spain, the birthplace of the Spanish language, taught Spanish, especially considering that their Spanish is the standard used in the textbooks she works with at UAFS. 

Going to Spain also meant fully immersing herself in the daily life, culture, society, and language. The latter, she was comfortable with; everything else was a mystery she couldn’t wait to uncover.  

Viviana spent four weeks as a student at Universidad de Alicante through the Council on International Educational Exchange, or CIEE. She joined four other students for 20 hours a week, taking a course on the Culture, Society, and Politics of Spain. In the second half of her day, Viviana would apply what she had learned in the classroom directly to her experience abroad. 

“I loved the experience of being immersed in something totally new and learning so much every single day,” she said. 

Located in San Vicente, the university was just a half-hour tram ride from the popular beaches of Alicante and an hour away from the stunning waterfall hike of Las Fuentes del Algar.  

When Viviana wasn’t admiring the landscape around San Vicente, she enjoyed grounding herself in the middle of Spain’s rich culture. From much-needed siestas to visiting museums and trying new foods, Viviana eagerly absorbed it all. 

“You start to find so much beauty in everything right away,” she said. “Everything is so different, even though it feels similar. You’re just blown away by the mundane. … It’s a very beautiful experience to get to know yourself and the place you’re visiting.” 

At the start of the fall semester, Viviana will be back at UAFS, eager to share her newfound life experiences and lessons with her professors, classmates, and friends.  

For information about UAFS’s study abroad and exchange programs, visit https://uafs.edu/admissions/international/.