Spain Coastline
For many Florida Southern College students, studying abroad offers more than an opportunity
to travel; it provides experiences that shape their academic and personal growth.
For Brooke Sommers, the Semester in Spain program became an experience that changed
the direction of her life.
“If I could, I would relive every single day I spent in Spain for the rest of my life,”
Sommers said. “The best day I ever had was arriving in Spain and the worst day I ever
had was leaving.”
Florida Southern's Semester in Spain study abroad program appealed to Sommers, a rising
senior majoring in business administration with a concentration in international business
and Spanish and minoring in entrepreneurship, because it allowed students to experience
life abroad while the College handled logistics, giving them the freedom to focus
on learning, travel and cultural immersion.
In Alicante, Sommers studied at Proyecto Español, where classes were taught entirely
in Spanish alongside students from countries around the world.
“My favorite part of studying with Proyecto Español was the diversity of people, languages,
cultures and opportunities,” she said. “You get to be in a classroom with different
people from different countries and backgrounds, which allows you to learn more than
just the language.”
For Sommers, learning extended well beyond the classroom. Everyday conversations,
errands and exploring the city accelerated her language skills in ways traditional
coursework could not.
“My Spanish language skills skyrocketed throughout the semester,” she said. “Because
you're so immersed in the language every day, your brain has no other choice than
to pick up on the language and adapt to it subconsciously.”
Beyond language acquisition, the experience gave her a renewed sense of purpose.
“When I studied abroad, I didn't just take classes, I learned that there was a whole
other part of the world I have been missing my entire life,” she said. “Since studying
abroad, I now have a clearer focus on exactly what I want to do for the rest of my
life.”
Much of that clarity came from the relationships she built with local residents, whose
friendships helped her experience Alicante beyond the typical tourist perspective.
“They changed the way I viewed Spain, especially Alicante. They showed me places I
would have never discovered myself, but more importantly they taught me things about
myself I would have never learned if I never met them.”
Those friendships also introduced her to sobremesa hour, the Spanish tradition of
lingering around the table after a meal to enjoy conversation, a practice she continues
today.
“The times in Spain I continued to sit there even after we finished eating have been
some of the most real and beautiful conversations I have ever had in my life,” she
said. “Sometimes it's worth it to stay for a moment without the rush to enjoy the
purpose of why we even came to the restaurant, to enjoy each other's company.”
Looking ahead, Sommers hopes to build a career that will one day bring her back to
Spain. She credits her semester abroad with transforming her career goals and her
confidence.
“I am so grateful I found the place that allowed me to grow into my highest self and
the version of myself I knew I would always become but didn't know how to be,” she
said. “This trip showed me the way.”
For students considering a semester abroad, Sommers’ advice is simple: “Step outside
of your comfort zone and just do it. Sometimes in life you have to go really far to
find out who you really are.”
