The Politics of Soccer in Spain and Beyond
I really didn’t think I was going to be able to study abroad. I went back to school later in life and work full time to support myself. The cost of a program was very intimidating and because I work full time I don’t qualify for much aid, because most aid doesn’t factor rent, car insurance, groceries, utilities, etc. But the UWB Study Abroad scholarship really helped me, I’m so grateful that I learned about it in an early class because without the scholarship I would not have been able to attend. I’d like to encourage all working students to look into the scholarship and see if it can help you attend a program because it’s honestly one of the most fulfilling experience of my life. I feel like a whole new person. Regardless of how long your program is you the scholarship will help, it also is only available to UWB students so you’re not competing with people from multiple colleges and it doesn’t take your income into consideration. Four people in my program received the scholarship and one of them knew about it because I told them about it in our class. I want every student who wants to study abroad to at least know about the scholarship because it shows how much UWB cares about the students and wants to help them achieve. I especially want working students to know about it because since often times they don’t qualify for other types of aid and therefore don’t consider studying abroad because of the expense of it. Studying abroad gives students the opportunity to learn and grow not just about the subject of the program but also about themselves and the world outside of where they live. Learning the cultures, politics, and traditions in Spain was as beneficial to me as my studies. Studying abroad is an incredible experience and no one should be held back from it because of the expense especially when this scholarship can help offset those.
Being able to go allowed me to learn some unexpected things about myself while I was studying abroad. The first was that while I hate flying traveling to new places and meeting new people makes it totally worth it and if you take some melatonin before take off you’ll sleep through most of it anyway. The second is that (for me personally) jet lag didn’t hit me going there but come coming home all I wanted to do was sleep. It’s probably the excitement of the new places and people around but sleep was the last thing on my mind for the most part. Even cliche touristy things are worth it, seeing the Eiffel Tower at sunrise and at night was something I’ll never forget. Living with someone who speaks nothing of your own language and you speak little of hers will fast track your learning like nothing else (also google translate is a life saver!) but the connections I made with her was so sweet, I feel like I have a new grandma and we’ve continued to text now that I’m home. Eating tapas with your classmates is the perfect way to end any night. Exploring a city on your own can be intimidating but is so worth it! You engage with the people and feeling of the city in a whole new way when you’re alone.
Sarah Cordova, Summer 2019
