By Stephanie Nguyen-Preciado

Study Abroad returns after a nearly three-year hiatus

Seville, Spain was the backdrop for the return of the Study Abroad program at Fullerton College. Nearly 30 students departed to Seville in mid-February to embark on a college experience of a lifetime. For some this was the first time traveling internationally and for many it was the first time being far away from home, away from many comforts they were used to. Traveling nearly 6,000 miles, students looked forward to immersing themselves in a different culture, exploring another country, creating new experiences, and learning abroad.

Leonor Cadena, professor of anthropology, and Kathy Standen, professor of business, led the trip to Seville, Spain. The program offered eight courses, four in anthropology and four in business. Students selected 12 units to participate in and added their courses to their student education plan prior to departure.

Nearly 30 students enjoyed traveling to Seville with the Study Abroad program led by Fullerton College faculty members Leonor Cadena and Kathy Standen.

Both faculty members were excited to take students to Spain and to tailor their courses to the country the students would be learning in.

“Seville has a mixture of many multicultural aspects, the Phoenicians, Celts, Romans, Moors & Jewish people all left their legacies,” Cadena said. “For example, I’m teaching Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion, where students will be learning about the Spanish Inquisition standing at the location where witch trials took place and visiting the museum of the inquisition (Castillo de San Jorge).”

Standen taught international business and looked at local culture and businesses as part of the courses. “We will be visiting business owners and retail stores and asking questions about the business,” she said. “Trying to understand the difference between doing business internationally and domestically.”

Students were able to participate in field trips and excursions as part of the Seville program. Portugal, Morocco, Madrid, Toledo, and Gibraltar were just a few of locations students were able to explore. Plus, students were able to visit the third largest cathedral in Europe, the cathedral of Seville, which contains the burial place of Christopher Columbus along with the four kingdoms that unified Spain in 1401.

Alia Scroggins participated in the study abroad program to Seville. She had fond memories of her experience, and her favorite part was being able to apply what she was learning in the textbooks and classes to the real world.

When asked whether she would recommend study abroad to Fullerton College students, Scroggins replied–absolutely. “This experience helped me widen my eyes to a different culture and become a citizen of the world.”

Fullerton College Student Receives Prestigious Study Abroad Scholarship

Evelyn Venegas was one out of nearly 1,500 undergraduates from across the U.S. to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which usually funds approximately half of the student’s program costs. FC Study Abroad was recognized in late 2019 by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as a top producer of Benjamin Gilman Scholars.