Alumni Voices: Hannah Wishart – The Importance of Studying Abroad

Hannah Wishart studied abroad through the CIEE Liberal Arts program in Seville, Spain in the spring of 2011. She is a graduate of Indiana University, and is currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chiatura, Georgia. As an English teacher with the Peace Corps, Hannah teaches a wide range of students, from grades 3-12. This semester, she is working to build an English room in her school, and she also serves as a member for the Technology 4 Development committee, which focuses on educating Georgians about how to use technology effectively for schools and organizations.

In an article originally published on Admitopia, Hannah talks about the importance of studying abroad, and how her experience volunteering during her semester abroad led her to her decision to join the Peace Corps. 

The importance of studying abroad – by Hannah Wishart

I studied abroad during the second semester of my junior year of college at Indiana University. I chose that particular semester because it was the recommended semester to do so and it fit into my plan for an on-time graduation. I chose to go to Seville (or as the Spaniards say it, Sevilla), Spain, which is in the central southern part of the country, about an hour and a half inland from the coast. Spain was the perfect choice for me because I had been studying Spanish since 7^th grade and I felt that I had a good handle on the language. So off I went to live in this unknown country (to me) for 4 months. During my stay with Asunción, my señora, I took classes at my program’s headquarters in the heart of Santa Cruz, the old Jewish neighborhood. On top of those classes, I also took classes designed for foreigners at the University of Seville, which is situated in a beautiful old tobacco factory. As you might expect, my daily walk to class was amazingly beautiful and included a 900 year old cathedral, more orange trees than I could count and old, winding cobble-stone streets.

The experience that has stuck with me the longest was my opportunity to volunteering during my study abroad. Once a week, my friend Laurel and I would go to the far side of the city to volunteer at an organization called Gota de Leche (Drop of Milk). This organization provided breakfast and lunch to underprivileged school age students in one of the rougher neighborhoods of Seville. Gota de Leche was run by one woman who bought enough cereal, milk, bread, cheese and meat to serve 10-15 children 2 meals per day. Our role was to help her prepare the food in the mornings and help to serve it to the children as they came in. Oftentimes, she would use her own money to buy the food due to a lack of funding. Her commitment to these kids was astonishing to me. She knew that the food she was providing would likely be the only food they would eat all day. I didn’t know it at the time, but this experience of volunteering at a one-woman NGO would be the first in a long string of volunteering I would do. 

Beyond having a new-found love of travel, my semester in Spain has shaped my life in ways that I could have never imagined at the time.

What does a semester abroad say to an employer? The answer to this question is entirely up to you. You can frame it as a fun time in another country, or you can frame it as a semester-long learning experience, both about yourself and a new culture. Being dropped into a new country and thriving speaks volumes about a potential hire. It says that this person is willing and able to handle what comes at them and they are able to find solutions to their own problems. Self-reliance is a huge plus for a potential employer – no one wants to hold a person’s hand for their entire career. Employers want self-starters who are not afraid to take calculated risks for a potential payoff.

Beyond having a new-found love of travel, my semester in Spain has shaped my life in ways that I could have never imagined at the time. My volunteering experience at Gota de Leche was the first in a long string of volunteering and has led me to a new career choice: joining the Peace Corps. I am a currently serving volunteer in Chiatura, Georgia (no, not the state) and I will be here for the next 22 months. I began my 27 month stint of service at the end of April and will be here until July of 2016. If I had not studied abroad, the thought of travel on this big of a scale would not have even crossed my mind. Living in Spain for 4 months opened my eyes to my potential for a lifetime of travel. Before heading to Spain, I had never been outside of the US – not even to Canada or Mexico. It was a huge step for me to take on my own and I have benefitted for it ten-fold. 

This article is featured in our "Alumni Voices" series, which highlights writing, articles, and other work from CIEE alumni. If you have an idea for an Alumni Voices feature on the CIEE Alumni blog, send us an email: alumni@ciee.org.