When I began attending UW-Bothell, I was very interested in the idea of signing up for a study abroad program but quickly found that not many are STEM related. They were practically non-existent for topics on physics. So, for almost two years, searching for a study abroad program that involved my interests was decreasing in my plans and eventually my thoughts.
Near the end of my junior year, my astrophysics professor comes into class and announces that she would be leading a study abroad to Spain because a total solar eclipse would occur in León that summer. I was already planning to go myself; it is no secret among my peers that I love astronomy and plan to pursue a career in astrophysics. I’m also Mexican and grew up with family from Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Mexico, so I thought being familiar with the language and culture, I would adjust to Spain well. So, all of these features added on top of being informed there is an abroad program to go see the exact phenomena I was planning for, I submitted an application as soon as possible.
It was exciting to find out that two people in my major were accepted into the program! We’re a small community at UW-Bothell but I also got to meet so many students from across all majors and from the other UW campuses!
After arriving in León, I was able to quickly settle down and meet my host family. She was amazing! Over the weekend, she took me to different places in the area to start getting acquainted with the layout of the city. I had a lot of analysis paralysis in the beginning but the more I walked around, the easier it was to just stop and enjoy the scenery and shops. Everything I needed was within a 5 minute walk and everyday I walked to class in 15 minutes. We started off the first week by getting our Spanish placement tests, beginning our classes for art in context and astronomy, and received many recommendations on what to do in the area.
Part of the art in this study abroad was seeing how eclipses are referenced in art, literature, architecture, and history. Throughout the next 3 weeks, as a class, we went to many sites that immersed us in Spanish history and culture. A couple of my favorite places that we visited were the Episcopal Palace of Astorga and the Casa Botines museum because the architect, Antoni Gaudí, was able to incorporate art nouveau and purposeful shadows to create such unique and stylistic buildings. My words do not capture the feelings of awe I had.
Learning about the science of eclipses were primarily through the classes and the observatory but many of our assignments took us outside to be more familiar with the Moon and Sun. Be more familiar with the Moon and the Sun? We see these things every day and night, don’t we? Even those of us who took the astronomy class and who are in the physics major, learned new concepts that changed how we viewed our place in the solar system, and even in the universe.
This program is being offered again in summer 2027, to all the STEM majors please consider a study abroad program!
