Name: Naomi Wantola

Program: Summer Session 2026 – Best Steps Abroad (BSA) Language Immersion Program

Location: Granada, Spain

 

Naomi’s Summer Study Abroad Experience in Granada, Spain

 

Studying abroad in Spain helped me gain more confidence and significantly improved my Spanish. Being immersed in the language led to noticeable growth in my conversational skills, and I became more confident speaking spontaneously rather than overthinking every sentence.

Living with a host family was new and slightly outside my comfort zone at first, but by the end of the month, I had built a strong, lasting relationship with my host mom. She was incredibly sweet, and through our conversations I learned so much about Spanish culture and daily life. I now feel like I have a second home in Spain, and I miss her dearly and I hope one day to return and visit her.

The content I learned in my classes also helped me better understand the country and city I was living in, giving context to what I was experiencing outside the classroom.