Alexa Macias | UCB Study Abroad

"I would say do study abroad, at least two. I understand that many students cannot afford to go to study abroad, but I’m here to say that where there is a will there is a way. Because I was one of those students who couldn’t afford a study abroad program but because of outreach for different scholarships and contacting the financial aid I was able to go to study abroad."

What led you to study abroad? Why did you choose your country/program?

I’ve always wanted to explore different parts of the world, and that was possible through the study abroad program. I chose this program because of the topic that was going to be taught over the summer. Which is migration among the Mediterranean and Mexican border. This helped me decide on what type of law I wanted to proceed which is immigration law.

What salient identities do you hold? How did your identity/identities impact the way you prepared for, or chose your study abroad experience?

I am a Mexican American woman, a Chicana, and through this program I was ready to share my perspectives as the way that I identify with my way of thought. Some thing that I had an advantage for while studying abroad was that I spoke Spanish, which made it a little easier to communicate with people from Spain.

Describe a typical day for you abroad.

I would wake up around 12 to get to class by one and learn for 3 to 4 hours. Then after I would go to either the Gothic quarter, El Marketa, and random places that my friends and I have not seen yet.

What coursework did you take while abroad? How did courses abroad compare with Berkeley classes?

I feel as though the coursework was very manageable, but also was eye-opening. One of the assignments that we did was a podcast, where at the end of the year we gather what we have learned in class and talk about it with a group of students. This was my favorite coursework out of the whole study abroad program because it allowed us to expand our thoughts with those who felt the same way on the topic.

Often, studying abroad can influence or shift our understanding of our own identities. How did your experiences studying abroad impact your understanding of your own identities? And/or what lessons did you learn in general related to your identities?

In America I 100% claim my roots as Mexican. But when I went to Spain it was almost a point for people from Barcelona, from Spain that I am American. Yes I did get a lot of people come up to me and asked me if I was from Mexico but when I said that I’m Mexican American they only took the American identification. I learned also that if I do end up going back to Spain I’m going to say that I am from Mexico, because for some reason that made it easier, easier to adjust.

What was the most memorable/meaningful aspect of your time abroad?

My most memorable aspect of my time abroad was when we went to a beach in Barcelona, a group of us went and we just bonded so closely in our time at the beach. We shared stories about each other we listened, we shared our perspectives on Spain, and how are adjusting. And that talk has led us to still continue to be close.

What was the biggest challenge/concern of your study abroad experience? How did you respond?

My biggest challenge was trying to get to Barcelona, since my flight got canceled, then it got delayed and it was a whole mess where I ended up being stranded at SFO for a day. Which led me not to want to continue the program but many of the study abroad advisers urged me to do so. And I am very thankful that they pushed me to start and finish the study abroad program.

What would you recommend to students considering studying abroad, especially if they share similar identities and/or are considering your country or program?

I would say do study abroad, at least two. I understand that many students cannot afford to go to study abroad, but I’m here to say that where there is a will there is a way. Because I was one of those students who couldn’t afford study abroad program but because of outreach for different scholarships and contacting the financial aid I was able to go to study abroad.