Sevilla, Portugal, Morocco

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Cassandra Elena Casas

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Cassandra Elena Casas

<i>Home Institution</i>: Alverno College <i>Expected Graduation Year</i>: 2025 <i>Academic Major / Minor</i>: Global Studies & International Relations / Elective Studies on Public Health <i>Destination</i>: London, UK <i>"Hello" in your host country's language</i>: Hello <i>Program Provider</i>: CAPA <i>Demographics</i>: Hispanic/Latinx, First-Generation American, First-Generation College Student <i>Future Career Goals</i>: I would hope to one day obtain my masters in Global Health Equity and potentially work for an international non-profit assisting communities that are most in need of healthcare necessities, and educational information. <i>Top Three Study Abroad Goals</i>: Complete my internship placement, because it would allow me to work in a social setting different from Milwaukee. In addition, this internship would provide me the opportunity to begin the global adaptation that I seek to obtain to further my academic aspirations; Hopefully learn more about myself any my environment adaptation skills. I have never been too far away from my family, so this is something that I know will be a challenge to overcome; Make new friends, experience their culture as well as the UK's culture and customs, and overall learn more about people who are outside of the same living space that I am in.

During spring break, I was able to travel to three different countries. Spain was first, we stayed in Seville for a weekend. The city is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It reminded me a lot of Mexico, as Spanish Colonial architecture dominates the streets of both Spain and Mexico. I also speak Spanish so navigating around the city came easy to me. It made me realize that the need to speak more languages is big. After Spain, we headed to Portugal. We went to two cities, Lisbon and Sintra. Portugal is located on hills, so walking through the streets became quite a workout, but the views from the top were breathtaking. Portugal is also a very old city, so visiting historical sights made me learn a lot more of the city’s history. Finally we went to Morocco and stayed in Casablanca for 2 days. Casablanca was the most difficult to get around since the two prominent languages spoken are Arabic and French. I took 3 years of French in highschool, therefore I know how to read French, but not speak it. We also went during off season times therefore we got a more non touristy experience than we would have if we had gone in the summer. In Morocco, our main sightseeing was the Mosque. It’s the 3rd largest mosque in the world, it allows for thousands of people to pray in and outside of the mosque. We ate traditional Moroccan food like tagine chicken and tea. Being able to experience cultures from all over the world is building my global perspective, as I learn more about myself and others in the process. I am so grateful that I was able to visit these three incredible places throughout my spring break, and I will forever remember my experiences. In terms of my academics, I have been able to keep on track with all my assignments, as I pace the deadlines with the time that I am not at my internship. One of my worries before coming to London was that I would struggle with assignment deadlines, but I have learned time management and planning around my trips. With the time I have left, I also plan on visiting two more countries in the coming months!