1. Background
Intensive Month Spanish Language Program
Project Outcomes
(May 5th-June 2nd)
In the summer of 2012, I went on the orientation trip to
Turkey with the 2016 Brown Fellows. This was my first
international trip. In the fall of 2012, I began my
undergraduate career at the University of Louisville as
a biology and psychology double major. In the spring
semester of 2013, I began studying Spanish at the
university level with the hopes of obtaining a Spanish
minor. I used this semester to plan my study abroad
trip.
My first four weeks in Costa Rica were spent at Veritas
University in Zapote, San Jose, Costa Rica. I participated in
the Intensive Month Spanish Language Program through
International Studies Abroad (ISA) My class, Basic Grammar
and Conversation II, met for a total of 80 contact hours in which
we did classwork, oral presentations, quizzes, exams, and field
trips. This program was intended to elevate my Spanish skills
to an intermediate level. Through the curriculum and the
Spanish immersion at my homestay, my Spanish language
skills were improved immensely.
• Improved Spanish language skills in the classroom and
earned credit towards a Spanish minor at the University
of Louisville
• Immersion in the Costa Rican culture and the Spanish
language through homestays with two different families
• Applied Spanish skills in a practical setting at Hogar
Infantil de Maria
• Gained an understanding of international volunteer
organizations and enjoyed time volunteering with the
children
• Gained a new cultural understanding from living and
working with people from all over the world.
Childcare Volunteer Program
(June 2nd-June 15th)
Abstract
This project was primarily intended to improve my
Spanish language skills. I was considering a Spanish
minor at the university, and several of the medicallybased programs I wanted to do for my future
enrichment projects required intermediate Spanish
skills. So to prepare myself for future projects and to
advance my studies, I studied abroad for Spanish in
Costa Rica through an Intensive Month Program at
Veritas University in Zapote, San Jose, Costa Rica. I
also went to Costa Rica with the intent to do volunteer
work. For two weeks after my Intensive Month
Program finished, I worked in an orphanage called
Hogar Infantil de Maria in San Pedro, San Jose, Costa
Rica through International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)
My last two weeks in Costa Rica were spent putting my newlyimproved language skills to the test. I worked at an orphanage
called Hogar Infantil de Maria in San Pedro, San Jose, Costa
Rica. The orphanage housed ten children, ages one to five. I
was in charge of planning and organizing activities for the
children, both indoors and outdoors. In my time spent at the
orphanage, no English was spoken, nor in my homestay. This
time spent practicing my Spanish in a practical setting was very
beneficial to my language learning, and I was grateful to have
the Spanish skills to be able to interact with the children.
Future Goals
By improving my Spanish skills while abroad, more potential
enrichment project opportunities have become available to me. I
plan on continuing my work in Spanish speaking countries, but
would like to focus more on my pre-medical focus in future
projects. Some ideas I am considering are:
• Medical internships in either Argentina, Peru, or Spain
• Interning at the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center
• Biological research in Panama
Special Thanks
This project would not have been possible without the help
of Andrew Grubb and Dr. Adel Elmaghraby (University of
Louisville), Virginia Hosono (University of Louisville
International Center), Maria Belen Jimenez (ISA On-Site,
Costa Rica), and Mario Solis (Maximo Nivel On-Site, Costa
Rica).