I have always loved to travel. I'm fortunate to have been able to travel with my family growing up and experience other parts of the United States and the world. I have also had the opportunity to travel with Girl Scouts internationally, too. Coming to college, I knew that I wanted to study abroad, but I wasn’t sure if it would interfere with my classes. I leaned towards traveling during the summer, and then all of a sudden I had completed my application for the Paraguay Honors Service-Learning Travel Seminar!

This program happened during the right time, for the right cost, to a country that I knew I would learn a lot about. I know many people feel concerned about the cost of studying abroad, but the Cohen
Honors College generously awarded me the Cohen Enhancement Scholarship, which covered the financial aspect to the travel seminar. For students who might be worried about the cost of studying abroad, apply anyway! There are many scholarships to apply for, and our Study Abroad Office at Wichita State truly wants to help you as much as possible. There was a lot of build-up before flying out in May, so I had lots of time to plan, prepare and, most importantly, get excited.

Once we touched down in Asunción, I met my host family for the first time. My host sister, Betti, had actually attended Wichita State for a semester the year before I arrived. The family welcomed me into their home with open arms, and was one of my favorite experiences from the whole two-week trip. With my host family, I got to see local concerts, a nature reserve, try Paraguayan cuisine, and learn about daily life in the city.

The trip also included learning about their local education system, which was my topic to research for the course. As a group of eight WSU students, we visited a local K-12 school and two local universities. There are some cultural differences between the schooling system in Paraguay and the United States, however even 5,000 miles away, there are more similarities than differences.

Traveling with a group of fellow Shockers was an amazing time because we got to grow close as friends over the course of the program. There was time to hang out together and play games, visit local sites, volunteer, but also explore the city on our own with our individual host families.

Language is also a big aspect to traveling to another country to study abroad. I have taken very elementary level Spanish during middle and high school, so I understand more than I can speak, but it is still very limited. This ended up being a great challenge while I was away from home, since it helped me increase my level of Spanish in an immersive environment. In Paraguay, many people speak the indigenous language of Guaraní, which illustrate their culture from a historical perspective.

After the two-week program in Paraguay, I took the opportunity to do some extra travel and flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Yes, while studying abroad you have to attend the program and stay up to date on classwork, but there is plenty of opportunity to explore. Studying abroad is meant to benefit students more than just academically. For anyone curious to explore the world, studying abroad is the way to go!

Traveling to Paraguay was a great experience which allowed me to learn more about the world and grow my skillset to be a more versatile student. It was not only informative, but also fun, and an experience I will keep with me for the rest of my life.