Andy's generosity lives on.

Overview:

This summer, ten BHS students took the trip of a lifetime to Spain! We lived in different cities throughout the country for a whole month. We stayed with host families, went on trips, and took classes (all without our cell phones). We could bring books and music, but only if they were in Spanish. This was all for total immersion in the Spanish language and culture! Our language proficiency improved immensely, and we had incredible experiences. We got to visit incredible sites, try delicious new foods, and develop a great deal of independence and confidence.

Ciudad Real:

Sarah Bedel, Lydia Haskamp, and Isaac Trossman went to Ciudad Real, a city in central Spain (two hours south of Madrid). The weather was hot every day and rarely rained, making humidity almost nonexistent. There were many landmarks pertaining to the novel, Don Quijote, which was set in Castilla-La Mancha. In the 3rd week of our trip, we traveled to Campo de Criptana where the windmills from the novel were derived from. Along with that excursion, we visited three other cities: Toledo, Madrid, Córdoba, and The Lagunas de Ruidera. Every city was unique in its own way and definitely taught us about the cultural and historical facts about Castilla-La Mancha and Spain in general. Our favorite part of the trip was interacting and getting to live with native Spaniards. Our host families were so welcoming to us and really made us feel like part of the family. Additionally, we made new friendships with the other students from Indiana who are now some of our best friends.

Oviedo:

In the summer of 2024, Lucy Abplanalp, Matthew Skinner, and Jenna Zimmerman traveled to Oviedo, the capital city of Asturias, Spain. We practiced and bettered our Spanish language skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. We learned about the culture and history of Asturias and Spain as a whole. Asturias is on the northwest coast of Spain, and is known as the birthplace of “La Reconquista”. Asturias is also known for its cattle, ever-changing weather, and lush mountain ranges. Our group traveled to Gijón, Covadonga and Cangas de Onís, León, and Segovia. We explored Oviedo every day, and we learned about the history of nearby cities during group excursions. Throughout the trip, we made strong connections with other students in the program that were amplified by IUHPFL’s Honor Code. We will never forget the people who helped us along our month-long wild ride: the teachers, the friends, the family. They all left a profound impact on each and every one of our lives. Near the end of our experience, the three sites reunited and explored the beautiful city of Madrid (Spain’s capital). We finished the program with our friends and instructors in Madrid, sharing stories and knowledge from our respective experiences. We cannot give enough praise to Indiana University and BCEF for giving us this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we hope that kids like us continue to embrace language and culture for the rest of their lives.

Almería:

Ava South, Abby Hartz, Georgia Voegele, and Kailey Schaeffer went to the southern coastal city of Almería. We were right on the Mediterranean Sea! We got to experience the Mediterranean diet, including very fresh fruit, olives, and lots of seafood. Almost every day after our classes, we went to the beach. We swam, tanned (Almería is the sunniest city in Europe), and even got to play beach volleyball or soccer with some local teenagers! It was really cool that our new knowledge of the language allowed us to make friendships with Spanish natives. When we weren’t at the beach, our host families provided us with some amazing experiences (e.g. hiking in the mountains, visiting nearby cities, sampling the food Almería has to offer, and family events like graduations or parties). In our classes, we didn’t just practice grammar and vocabulary all day. We spent a lot of time learning “Sevillanas” (a traditional dance) from one of our professors. On weekends we had excursions. We visited Cabo de Gata (a national park), the beautiful and historic city of Granada, and every student participating in the program spent the weekend in Madrid!

Summary:

We think we speak for all three cities when we say this program provided lifelong memories, lessons, friendships, and a new language that we can carry with us for the rest of our lives.