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Over the spring semester, mechanical engineering major Hallie Zeller ’12 (Bridgewater, N.J.) joined 24 other Lafayette students in the College’s new semester-abroad program in Spain. Led by James Ferri, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, the group, consisting mostly of second-semester engineering sophomores, studied engineering and Spanish culture.
Being a mechanical engineer, I had always ruled out the possibility of studying abroad. I had never traveled much in the past, and the idea never occurred to me until I realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
When I arrived in Madrid in January, I didn’t know what to expect. My Spanish-speaking skills were rusty, and my knowledge of the city was minuscule. Although I was excited beyond words, I was jumping into a way of life completely unfamiliar to me. After arriving at my home stay, I was disappointed to find that I was without a phone and without Internet for several days. I felt anxious, frustrated, and helplessly stranded in a foreign land.
Looking back now, I cannot help but laugh at myself. At home, text messages and phone calls were so essential to my lifestyle. Abroad, things were different. I was far too busy living my life to waste time on a cell phone. I was able to take three of my required courses while abroad, as well as an additional course in astronomy. My VAST (Values and Science/Technology) course, Nanotechnology and Society, was taught by Professor Ferri, who was an invaluable contributor to our experience abroad.
We explored Spanish cities such as Segovia, Toledo, Granada, and Salamanca. We saw everything from the Alhambra, an incredible Moorish palace, to cathedrals and castles to aqueducts, monuments, and scenic views. I had never seen such beautiful things in my life.
All of the Lafayette engineers took a trip to Toulouse, France, where we visited a water treatment plant, an outer space theme park, a newspaper factory, and the Airbus site. We visited Barcelona, Portugal, Sevilla, and the island of Mallorca. I even went to Amsterdam where I met up with several Lafayette engineers studying in Bremen.
The most memorable and life-changing part of my experience abroad was a five-day trip to Morocco. My travel experiences in the past consisted of hopping from one tourist site to the next and taking little time to appreciate the culture.
In Morocco, we stayed with host families and ate traditional meals, walked through the Medina with Moroccan students, went to a public bath, experienced the lifestyle of a mountain villager, and scaled mountains with majestic views. I had never felt so connected to a culture so different from my own.
After returning to Madrid, I saw Spanish culture in an entirely new light. Rather than making it a goal to see every famous site, I made it a goal to live the life of a true Madrid citizen. I saw a Flamenco dance and a bullfight. I walked through Retiro Park, went out for tapas, and took siestas. After living there for four months, I can say with confidence that I succeeded.
Zeller is a member of Lafayette Association of Visual Artists, the College’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and the IEEE STEM program, where students teach middle school students about the sciences. She is also performing EXCEL Scholars research this summer on blood flow in arteries with Jennifer Rossmann, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.