Sophia Hilliard and Kevin Gabriel spent this summer studying abroad through Walla Walla University’s Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA) program. Gabriel, a junior graphic design major, studied in South Korea, and Hilliard, a junior psychology and Spanish major, studied in Spain. Read below to hear from both students as they share the unique adventures and lessons learned from their time abroad.
SOPHIA HILLIARD:
Where are you studying this year and why did you choose that location?
Sophia Hilliard: For this past year, I was studying at Escuela Superior de Español de Sagunto, in Sagunto, Spain. I chose that country because it is where my mom had gone to study abroad, and when she told me about her time there she said it changed her life so much, for the better.
Are there any goals that you set for yourself when you decided to study abroad, and if so, how have you been working towards them?
Hilliard: When I decided to study abroad I set two goals for myself. The first was to learn a new language. The second was to push myself and not let fear stop me from trying something new. I worked towards both goals by building friendships with the locals in Spain and saying yes to every adventure I was invited on.
What has been your biggest adventure so far? What did you learn from it?
Hilliard: The biggest adventure I had was getting stuck in England by myself for 24 hours. My flight was canceled so the airline booked me a hotel room, but I was unable to find it. I saw a man asking for the same hotel at the bus station and asked him for help. He helped me navigate my way to the hotel, and I ended up having a great conversation with someone who it turns out is in a famous band. I learned that sometimes asking for help works out for the better, and was reminded that there are still so many great people in the world, despite what we see in the news.
How have you seen God at work this summer?
Hilliard: The church on the Spain campus welcomed all of the students with open arms and truly cared and looked out for all of the Americans there. I saw God work in so many ways by watching people, who were raised across oceans, come together to praise Him and serve others.
What has been the biggest change for you?
Hilliard: The biggest change for me physically was having a three-hour siesta every day, it was wonderful. The biggest mental change for me was the confidence I built up while communicating in another language and navigating through different, unknown places.
What advice would you give students looking into a year abroad?
Hilliard: I would tell students who are thinking of studying abroad to just do it because who knows when their next chance to live in a different country will arise. I would also advise them to join the clubs or groups the campus offers so that they can connect with some of the locals.
KEVIN GABRIEL:
Where are you studying this year and why did you choose that location?
Kevin Gabriel: I studied at Sahmyook University in Seoul, South Korea. I chose this location because I was interested in the culture and the food, and I wanted to experience something that was way beyond my comfort zone. I also wanted to go to Asia, and Korea, being a new Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA) option, became an extremely enticing opportunity.
What has been the biggest change for you?
Gabriel: The biggest change for me, as I'm sure is the case for many other ACA students, is the language. Even when I got on my plane to Korea, seeing and hearing different languages was fascinating to me, and I wanted to embrace the unfamiliarity as much as I could. Before the summer program, I was only able to learn how to read Korean characters, so I tried my hardest to read all the signs around me to try to get better at it. Due to all of the help and teaching I got from staff and peers, I would say that I became more comfortable with the language.
How have you seen God at work this summer?
Gabriel: During this summer it was monsoon season in Korea, so it would be raining during a lot of our days there. Because of this, we had to work around the rain and hope that it wouldn't ruin many of our plans. We were especially worried that the rain would ruin our visit to Jeju Island—a tropical island in the southern part of South Korea—and prevent us from doing any activities. However, like many other similar situations throughout the program, the rain cleared up for the couple days that we were there even though it wasn’t expected to. This is just one example of God at work during my time in Korea.
What has been your biggest adventure so far? What did you learn from it?
Gabriel: Although I did countless activities during the program, I would say that the biggest adventure for me was navigating and exploring Seoul. During our free time, a lot of us students would take public transportation further into the city and learning how to use the right buses and subway lines became a necessity, given the frequency of our excursions. By the end of the program, I would say that all of us became very comfortable with traveling throughout the city.
What advice would you give students looking into a year abroad?
Gabriel: Other than the practical advice like making sure you have power adapters for your electronics or having spending money available to you, I would say that my advice to anyone thinking about looking into going abroad is to just go. You don't often get many chances to study abroad, and the number of things about yourself and the world you can learn by just being in another country can be applicable in whatever field of work you are working towards.
Posted Sept. 4, 2024
