GREENVILLE, S.C. (August 5, 2016) – Several Bob Jones University students participated this summer in the Spanish Study Abroad Program hosted by BJU May 19 – June 18.
As a part of the program, students participated in a homestay experience with local families in Elda and Petrer, Spain. Students also toured towns and cities throughout Spain including Madrid, Toledo, El Escorial, Valle de los Caídos, Alicante, Monóvar and Villena.
During their four weeks in Spain, the students took two classes, one in Spanish culture and one in advanced Spanish communication. They participated in local festivals such as Elda’s Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians), a festival commemorating the Reconquest of Spain, allowing the students to experience the importance of history in the Spanish culture. They were also actively involved in a local church ministry throughout their time there.
“Study Abroad is one of the best ways for students to reach advanced proficiency levels, not only in interpersonal communication but also in cultural knowledge,” says Amos Kasperek, Program Coordinator for the Spanish and Spanish education programs at BJU. “The reason I love BJU’s study abroad program is because it goes a step farther. Not only do the students take classes and stay with host families, they participate in a worldview-shaping experience by engaging in local community activities, appreciating and evaluating new cultural realities from a biblical perspective, and being strengthened in their faith as they contribute to that community in a Christ-honoring way.”
The BJU students who attended the trip include Kenneth Driscoll (senior majoring in communication with a minor in music), Kara Estelle (junior majoring in health sciences with a minor in Spanish), Kelcy Goodrich (senior majoring in communication with a minor in psychology), Hannah Goodwill (senior majoring in humanities with a minor in Spanish), Anna Heney (senior majoring in Spanish with a minor in French), Jo Henning (senior majoring in humanities with a minor in Spanish), Wilbur Mauk (junior majoring in theatre arts with a minor in Spanish), Elizabeth Paris (senior majoring in communication with a minor in Spanish), Tabitha Rogers (junior majoring in Spanish), Bethany Snow (sophomore majoring in Spanish with a minor in creative writing), and Rebecca Williams (junior majoring in Spanish with a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language [TESL]).
