Hello!
My name is Natalia Fagundez and I am currently a sophomore at UNC Greensboro! I am studying special education with a concentration in Spanish education, and a minor in American Sign Language. I am a part of UNCG Teaching Fellows, Reynolds Scholars, and I am completing international and disciplinary honors!
Welcome to my study abroad journey!
I am currently completing the ISA Granada, Spain program for the spring 2023 semester. I have been in Granada for approximately a month now, and it has been such an amazing experience.
I flew into Madrid on January 20th and from there spent two days in Madrid, one in Toledo, and then made my way to Granada to meet my host family!
As for my housing, I chose to live with a host family because I wanted to feel truly immersed in Spanish culture and live in a Spanish household. I live with my host mother and 2 other students from the U.S.
I spent the following days learning routes to get to school, discovering panaderias, and learning about the city! I then took a placement test to decide my Spanish level, and classes started on February 1st! I decided to finish my concentration here in Spain so I am taking all Spanish courses including: literature from the 19th century to present, contemporary Spain in the media, grammar, and an oral/writing course! The class sizes are relatively smaller than American classes, ranging from 10-20 students. Grades are on a ten point scale, with students needing a five or higher to pass the course. Since I am taking Spanish learning courses, all the students in my classes are non-native speakers.
Through ISA, I have been able to see tours of local cathedrals and visit places like Sevilla and Cordoba! It is about 40 students from the U.S. and it has provided me with a great community to rely on. Classes have been relatively easy and have little homework. Professors focus a lot on engaging with students and making connections to Spanish culture. I have also been able to travel to other places within Spain and plan on flying to places like London and Portugal!
Overall, this experience so far has been extremely exciting and I have felt so much support from the ISA staff, UNCG study abroad office, and the honors faculty while abroad.
