Issue date: 5/27/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Fred Lambuth [Click to enlarge]

Every year, thousands of Texas A&M students make the decision to leave the familiar surroundings of Aggieland to embark on the experience, an often life changing one, of studying abroad.

Though the motivations often vary - ranging from the desire to learn a new language, volunteer, or to fulfill degree requirements. The elements are a constant, proving to be exciting, eye opening and at times, overwhelming.

Brent Kelley, senior international studies major, will depart on his trip to Guanajuato, Mexico, at the end of July and will stay with a host family for nearly six months before returning to the states in December. For him, studying abroad offers him the chance to fluently learn Spanish, a language he's studied for three semesters at A&M while completing the international requirement that's a pivotal part of his major.

"I actually switched majors into the International Studies program because I liked that they required a semester abroad," he said. "Every student in the major has to study abroad at least once, which is a good experience to encourage."

His decision to travel to Mexico and round out his Spanish education was also heavily influenced by his future career goals in the field of law enforcement.

"Overall in the U.S., Spanish isn't necessarily a second language that would come in use a lot," Kelley said. "But I'm considering doing work in Mexico, or South or Latin America where Spanish is the dominant language. While I'm there, I'm going to eat, sleep, and breathe the language. I'll be taking a class, watching all Spanish TV and I'm going to join a conversation group."

In addition to learning Spanish, he also wants to familiarize himself with a social environment unique from that of Texas.

"From all the courses I've taken so far, I find the Mexican and Spanish culture really interesting," he said. "I want to learn as much as I can about it while I'm there."

Though he hasn't met or spoken to the host family he'll be living with, people he'll only correspond with by letter once before his trip, he says he is warding off any anxiety by preparing himself as much as possible.

Continued...

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