As a Spanish and International Business Major at Clemson, a large component of the curriculum is to complete 140 hours of an internship while abroad. These internships allow for the students to get real world exposure to business operations unfamiliar to them. It also allows for us to apply classroom learning to a business environment, developing a 360 degree world view. During my time in Seville, Spain, I worked as an English teaching assistant at a private academy in a neighboring town, named Tomares. The school is called Sarah English Academy, with teachers from all over the world. Over the course of four months, my internship has taught me much more than how to teach English, but more importantly about business culture, making connections, and the Spanish language. 

 

At the start of the program, all students were required to set three goals to accomplish during their internship: a professional goal, a cultural goal, and a personal goal. My professional goal was by the end of the semester, to solely lead 3 English lesson plans. This ended up happening sooner in the semester rather than later, and was way more than just 3 lessons! My cultural goal was to show up with a positive attitude, and form a deep understanding of the ins and out of Spanish business culture. This really ended up being a huge benefit, and easy to accomplish, as my coworkers were so friendly and eager to help. Lastly, my personal goal was to increase my spanish proficiency by having my students teach me new words. This became a cute bonding moment I shared with my students on a daily basis, with reversed roles and encouraged learning! By the end of the program, these goals were fulfilled and even exceeded, enriching my experience studying abroad, and growing my 360 degree world view.