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Heidi Schleif
Heidi Schleif is an Ambassador who studied abroad in Spain
Briefly describe a specific cultural experience you had on your trip that made a lasting impression.
One experience I had that made an impression on me was when I described my major (Liturgical Music) to some Spanish university students. I told them that I wanted to work in a church directing a choir and being in charge of the music program and they were absolutely shocked that that was an actual profession and that I would pursue it. I wasn't really surprised by this reaction because I was aware of the state of the Church in Spain and had been to mass at multiple churches so I knew that most churches really didn't have much of a music program if any at all, but the fact that they were amazed and shocked by what I've chosen to do with my life was for some reason very weird. It wasn't a bad thing; it just made me realize how different Spain and the US are.
Why did you choose the program in which you participated?
I am a Hispanic studies minor, so studying in Spain just made sense for me, and it was something I had been planning on and looking forward to as long as I had been in college. I knew that it would be a really great experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it would improve my Spanish and world perspective greatly. I chose Spain out of the other Spanish speaking countries because I was very interested in studying in Europe and observing the architecture, culture, and history.
Describe your overall study abroad experience.
I would describe my experience as a really great, eye opening adventure. I had a wonderful opportunity to live in a country with customs and language totally different from my own, and I got to travel around that country to see the different cities and how they differed in the various regions. I learned an overwhelming amount of Spanish, and lots of Spanish history and was immersed in the culture to really round it all out. And then I had the opportunity to travel around Europe when my program was done, which was another experience that I will never forget.
How has the trip affected you? How are you different for having completed the experience?
I think that after having the experience of living in a foreign country and traveling around Europe, along with the period of time after I returned home and readjusted to the United States, I have matured a lot as a person. I've seen so much more of the world and met so many people who think in totally different way than I do, which I think is a really great positive challenge. Aside from everything that I learned about myself when I was taken out of my comfortable, normal environment, I think I really learned to be open and accepting of people who think differently and act differently than I do in a way that I thought I was before but I actually wasn't.
What advice do you have for future Study Abroad Students?
Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and talk to and get to know new people, especially natives of the country you're studying in. There's no better way to really get to know a place than to talk to the people.
Do you have questions about studying abroad in Spain? Email Heidi at heschleif@csbsju.edu.