Thanks to the generous funding of my Fordham Arrupe Fellowship, I had the opportunity to live in Cochabamba, Bolivia, for 8 weeks of language immersion this summer. I studied Spanish five days a week in a one-on-one setting at CLIMAL (Centro Lingüistico Intercultural), a local language school.
I also opted to stay with a host family to complete the immersion experience. Eating dinners and spending weekends with my family (who spoke no English) allowed me to practice Spanish and learn about topics such as local history, music, food, politics, and current events. Though I arrived in Bolivia with a basic level of Spanish, my family saw me advance from a basic level to an advanced and confident conversational fluency.
The best part of language immersion in Bolivia was exploring and practicing my Spanish outside the classroom. Through outings with teachers, classmates, local friends, and my host family, I explored the local markets and museums; hiked to the El Cristo statue for panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountains; visited many other cities and national parks nearby; and participated in local indigenous festivals, such as the Andean-Amazonic New Year where I welcomed the first rays of the winter solstice sun at the Incaracay ruins. Bolivia is a vibrant country with a rich and diverse culture!
I chose a Spanish language immersion for my IPED summer as I am pursuing a career in international development, specifically with Catholic Relief Services in the Latin America Caribbean region. Fluency in Spanish will open more doors for job opportunities in this region and with international development organizations in the future. Aside from language advancement, living in Bolivia taught me much more about the economic and development realities of the Bolivian people and surrounding countries, bolstering my knowledge as an International Political Economy and Development student. Overall, my experience in Bolivia was extremely academically and personally rewarding! I am grateful to IPED for the opportunity to explore more of the world and all it offers.
