Kelly Hudick studied in Toledo, Spain in 1999. Taking part in a six-week language program, her experience was intense from the moment she stepped off the plane. Her luggage was lost upon arrival, so it became an immediate necessity for her to interact with people, try to figure out what happened to her luggage, and replace what was lost. The immersion forced her to learn the language quickly and meet plenty of Toledanos. It was a powerful education in a short period of time. “It allowed me to step out and put my skills into action in the real world,” she said. “I learned a lot about myself.”

When Hudick first began researching study abroad, she turned to the Learning Abroad Center for direction. The staff there helped her narrow her interests and led her to the Toledo program. The amount of options available is staggering, she said. And the list has only grown since she’s been abroad.

She believes study abroad is an opportunity that students must seize while they are in college. “It’s the best time to travel,” she said. “You need to find a way because you may never have the opportunity to do it again.” Despite her own financial hurdles, she investigated funding resources and took out loans to cover some of the cost.

In addition to her time in the program, Kelly also traveled with groups of other students on the weekends and took two weeks to explore after her formal study ended. Some of her best memories are of those trips. She also made close friends that she still keeps in contact with today.

While Hudick doesn’t use Spanish in her current job as an IT consultant for a company called Accenture, she has benefited professionally in many ways from her experience abroad. It has given her the confidence and the knowledge to handle difficult situations and to embrace challenges. she said. In an attempt to keep her language skills sharp, she has volunteered for CLUES (Chicanos Latinos Unidos En Servicio) teaching Spanish-speakers and immigrants and preparing them for the U.S. citizenship test.

Hudick gained so much, in fact, that she contributes part of her monthly income to the Learning Abroad Scholarship fund. “I got so much out of the program, and it’s important for me to try to pass that on,” she said. “Think about what your study abroad experience meant to you. The memories you have. The things you learned. This is an opportunity to pass that on to other students.”

“It’s important to ensure that the Learning Abroad Center can continue to provide these opportunities for students, especially with the rising cost of study abroad programs and the rising cost of education in general,” she said.

 

Last modified on May 13, 2008