CBC Student Spotlight: Olivia Seagraves

Hello, my name is Olivia and I’m a junior Biochemistry major. This summer, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Alcalá de Henares, Spain to work on my Spanish minor. Alcalá is located about 20 miles outside of Madrid and is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the legendary Don Quixote. It is a gorgeous town and full of things to do.

I took two courses at the Universidad de Alcalá, Intermediate Spanish and Oral Communications. The credits I earned there transferred directly back here to the U of A. I lived with a great host family (they even had two cats!) and I was able to immerse myself in Spanish culture and language for four weeks.

While in Spain, I traveled with friends to multiple cities including Córdoba, Sevilla, Granada, Toledo, and València. We even saw The Weeknd perform in Madrid! There was never a dull moment, and every day was an opportunity to grow in my Spanish language skills and confidence. I would encourage anyone who is interested in studying abroad to take the leap and do it!