Megan Raab Reports on Andy Koors Study Abroad Experience

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The BCEF Study Abroad Program in memory of Herr Andy Koors returned in 2022, after having to be canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions in Europe. This program pays for a portion of the program fees for selected BHS students who have been accepted into the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Language. We are so grateful for Andy’s unrestricted gift that allows us to provide this program and continue to grow BCEF!

BHS senior Megan Raab provided us with this wonderful report on her experience:

My name is Megan Raab and I am a senior at Batesville High School. This past year, I applied for the IU Honors Program in Foreign Language. As soon as I saw that I had been accepted, it all started to seem real!

I left for Oviedo, Spain, on June 9th and stayed there for about six weeks with a group of 28 other students from Indiana. We were only allowed to speak Spanish while we were there and communication home was limited to one hour a week by email. It was a challenge at first not being able to speak English, but by the end of the trip it seemed natural! We went to four classes every weekday, taught by our instructors, and learned about the language and culture. Our classes included: Literature and Culture, Grammar and Language, Communications, and Dance/Theater.

We got to explore the city of Oviedo, located in Northwestern Spain, after classes until the evening, at which point we spent time with our host families. I quickly made some of my closest friends when I arrived and we spent many hours talking and visiting stores around the city. Occasionally, the group would travel outside of Oviedo on excursions to various other sites around Northern Spain. Some of these included Santiago de Compostela, Covadonga, and the Congas de Onis.

 

Throughout the program, we prepared a farewell show for the host families showcasing the many cultural dances, songs, and customs we had learned throughout the trip. The final week, we performed that farewell show, packed our bags, and left Oviedo. We spent our last three days in Segovia and Madrid, the capital. We got to visit lots of beautiful cathedrals and see lots of historical ruins from the times of the Ancient Romans! Finally, on July 19th, at 1:00 a.m, we arrived at the Indianapolis Airport, exhausted and ready to sleep in our own beds.

 

This trip has been an experience that I will never forget and I am so grateful for all of the support I received throughout my journey! Especially, though, I would like to offer a special thanks to BCEF for helping make this dream a reality. Originally, one of my main hesitations about the trip was the cost, which was a fair amount. However, I was made aware of the BCEF scholarship for foreign language students who are going to study abroad! Through this scholarship, I managed to pay for a large portion of my trip. So thank you BCEF and the others who helped me raise money for this trip!
Here are some pictures of my experience, including one of me with my host family and friends!