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Modern Languages

Letters Home from Students Abroad

letters home

Every year many of our undergraduate majors and minors study, live and work abroad as part of their K-State Experience. Read about the experiences of three students: Craighton Carey, Ashley Bailey and Myriah Smith!

Craighton Carey and Ashley Bailey (pictured above) both spent the 2013-2014 academic year in Spain.  Ashley worked at an elementary school in Segovia and Craighton worked at a school in Badajoz.  Both students worked with children ages 6-12 for 12 hours a week on a 4-day schedule.  The program began in October 2013 and ended in June 2014.

Neither Craighton nor Ashley had previous experience teaching, but found they were quickly able to assist in the classroom, working with students on their pronunciation and helping with classroom activities.  For their work they receive a stipend to cover their living expenses.  In their free time Ashley and Craighton traveled throughout Spain and explored their host cities. In an email home to K-State, both students commented on how much their Spanish had improved since arriving in Spain:“We’ve already gotten comments from people saying that in 3 months time they can already tell a difference in our Spanish.”  Regarding their future plans, Ashley has decided to renew her placement in the program for another year and will also be applying to grad school in Madrid. Craighton plans to pursue a career as a physical therapist.  Both students encourage others to consider this program.  “We can only say one thing about this program: AMAZING!”

Myriah Smith (pictured below), was the recipient of the 2013 Rotary International Global Grant, a national competition in its first year. The goal of the Global Grant is to fund two students with service-learning projects abroad. Myriah earned this award for a project proposal she developed to teach English in Panama.  Last February Myriah traveled to Panama where she attended TESOL courses at the Universidad Latinella Panama while also volunteering as an English teacher at the Jonathan Bilingual School.  Myriah’s project contributed to the Rotary Club’s commitment to increase literacy and promote economic development.

Did you study abroad while at K-State?  Leave us a message below and tell us about it!

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3 thoughts on “Letters Home from Students Abroad
  1. JaneMyersPerrine.com

    I believe I was in the first group to study “abroad.” Dr. Margaret Beeson put together a summer study to El instituto tecnologico y de estudios superiores de Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. It greatly helped my speaking ability. Although we lived in dorms with other English-speaking students, we made a rule to speak Spanish at all times. Sadly, that didn’t last for more than a fewhours but I did speak Spanish in class and traveling. It was a great first experience but I envy these students who spent a year in a Spanish-speaking country.

  2. 1963 was indeed the first year that ML students studied abroad. I was in the first KSU group to attend the American Summer School of the Sorbonne under the able guidance of Mme Dorothy Pettis that summer. Six of us KSU French students lived with families in Paris for six weeks. We attended classes in the mornings and explored Paris in the afternoons, sometimes on our own and often on adventures organized by Mme Pettis. It made all the difference in my confidence and skill as I went on to become a teacher of French.

  3. I studied abroad in 1974 at Universidad de las Americas in a suburb of Mexico City. We were in a home stay with a wonderful family and because of a travel glitch I arrived a day early which set me up as the main Spanish speaker with the family, something that was a great benefit as it turned out. Ashley Bailey was my student at Riley County HS and I am so proud of her and excited for all the students who take advantage of this opportunity!

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