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I have
been fortunate
enough
to do an internship with the U.S. Department of Foreign
Affairs. With the help I received from the Study Abroad
program, I was able to receive excellent budgeting
preparation for my three‑month journey to Spain as an
intern for the U.S. Department
of State. When I arrived at Madrid’s Barajas Airport, I
was immediately interposed
into a setting similar to that of my own United States
but also quite different. The major difference, of
course, was that I had now gone from Engli sh
to Spanish as an official
language. Another difference was the change in currency
—
from the Dollar to the Euro. However, because of
Auburn’s Foreign Language program
and the Office of International Education’s Study Abroad
program,
I was more prepared than if I had been alone
in my preparation for such a task. O.I.E.’s
Pre‑Departure Budgeting Assistance allowed me to have an
estimated expenditure
calculation
to present to the Financial Aid Department for funding.
At the
U.S. Embassy in Madrid, everything was so exciting.
Helping m y
fellow
Americans either living or just vacationing in Spain was
a very satisfying experience. Also, meeting with
Spanish students and professors about having a greater
number of Spanish students studying in the United States
and vice versa was another great experience. Needless
to say, communication within the U.S. Embassy was much
easier than
outside
its doors. Not being fluent in Spanish, social life
didn’t extend too far beyond a close group of friends.
All in
all, my experience
in Spain was definitely one of learning. One of the
best ways of broadening your view
of other cultures and societies is to experience them
firsthand, if possible. Beca use
of excellent assistance I received from the Study Abroad
Department, the Foreign
Language
Department, and the Financial Aid Department; I have
been able to broaden my knowledge of a different culture
and language. With business and interpersonal relations
between countries and peoples becoming
more "global" as our future progresses, I know that my
journey abroad has increased my desirability in the job
market.
Thank you
for all your help. I am forever grateful.
James L.
Davis
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