Student Testimonials for Intercultura
Morgan Hofmann
Age (while abroad): 25
Degree(s): English Education / Spanish
What was your prior language knowledge (if applicable)?: 3 semesters college Spanish, 3 years high school Spanish
Where did you go?: Heredia & Samara, Costa Rica
In what school did you study?: Intercultura
When did you go?: Spring 2020 (3 months); (left early due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Have you studied abroad before?: No
Why did you do study abroad?: I am an aspiring educator with an interest in other cultures and the Spanish language. There are so many reasons to travel, but the main reason for me was to experience authentically culture outside of my country while learning Spanish through immersion. My goal was to become bilingual, but circumstances prevented that from happening.
Would you do this again?: I would not study abroad again, only because I need to focus on my education in Montana and complete my degree, but I would like to encourage others to study abroad. If I become a high school Spanish teacher I would love to give students the opportunity to study abroad. If I were to travel for an extended period again, I would either volunteer or do TESL.
What was your favorite part?: My favorite part was meeting people from other parts of the world and going on adventures.
Going to Montezuma was amazing because I met like-minded individuals and we had deep
discussions while exploring a beautiful place.
What was your least favorite part?:The worst part was having to return home early.
How has study abroad affected your life now?: It has given me a deeper sense of appreciation for home. I appreciate advanced plumbing systems, my family, and what it means to live in the “big sky state.” It has ignited a sense of wonder and given me a fresh perspective on politics, relationships and life in general.
What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?: I learned that people are more alike than they are different. We all like pizza, we want to be liked, we all dream, and we’re all weird in our own way. I learned to be self-reliant and plan ahead. I learned that you can’t rely on Google Maps in a country without real addresses, and that there are 100 ways to make rice and beans.
What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?: Do it! Stay in touch with your loved ones but push yourself to experience all that you can. You can always make more money, but you can’t make more time. You’ve already paid for the plane ticket to get there, so make use of your free time and have fun.
Emily Toennis
Age (while abroad): 20 
Degree(s): Accounting Major with a Spanish Minor
Where did you go?: Heredia, Costa Rica.
In what school did you study?: Intercultura
When did you go abroad (from when to when)?: Summer 2018 (1 month)
Have you studied abroad before?: “This was my first experience studying abroad.”
Why did you do study abroad?: “I decided to study abroad because I really wanted to improve my language skills in Spanish to become more fluent. I knew that the only way to become as close to fluent as possible would be to immerse myself in a Spanish speaking country. I also have a passion to travel and see different parts of the world, so it was really great that I could travel and complete college credits simultaneously.”
Would I do this again?: “I would absolutely do this again. It is a life-altering experience that I will never forget.”
What was your favorite part?: “My favorite parts were speaking Spanish and learning all about the culture. I absolutely
loved trying all sorts of different foods and fruits.”
What was your least favorite part?: “My least favorite part was not being able to flush my toilet paper down the toilet.
It took a lot of getting used to for me because it’s just not something I usually
think about in my daily life that I have to throw it away.”
How has study abroad affected your life now?: “Study abroad has definitely made me more open-minded in a global perspective. I loved that I got to meet people from all over the globe while I was at Intercultura. It was incredibly fun to learn about other people’s cultures and languages in a real time.”
What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?: “I learned that people have a lot more in common than you’d think regardless of what
language they speak. My favorite thing I learned was that humor is transcendent of
culture. It was great to see how people in a different culture personally deal with
problems whether they are big or small.”
What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?: “The best advice I could give would be that study abroad is worth every penny. The life experience is worth all the money. Being able to meet people and travel by yourself or in a group is worth it. You learn an unfathomable amount of things about societies, human behavior, and most importantly, yourself. Being brave and trying things outside of your comfort zone is the best way to grow as a person, and study abroad is the perfect way to achieve personal growth.”
Koryn Kelly
Age (while abroad): 25
Degree(s): Undergraduate student of Psychology and a minor in Spanish at the College of Liberal Arts
Where did you go?: Heredia and Samara, Costa Rica.
In what school did you study?: Intercultura
When did you go abroad?: Summer 2017 (two months)
What was your prior language knowledge (if applicable)?: Two years in high school and one year of First year Spanish at Montana State University Billings.
Have you studied abroad before?: “Before this experience, I have never studied abroad nor traveled outside of the United States.”
Why did you do study abroad?: “To be honest, I have always wanted to study abroad and experience a different country. I loved the idea of learning about new culture and also about how people in other countries live compared to the United States. This experience provided me the perfect opportunity to not only do that but also to be able to improve my Spanish. Before this experience, I did really well in my Spanish classes, however, this experience truly helped me gain confidence when I speak and really helped with my pronunciation.”
Would I do this again?: “I would be more than happy to do an experience again. While at first the ‘full Spanish immersion’ was challenging, I grew to really enjoy it.”
What was your favorite part?: “My favorite part was meeting people from not only Costa Rica but also different countries
and different parts of the United States. It was amazing to get to know them and find
out about how people that live in other places live differently. I also very much
enjoyed all of the natural beauty that I saw on the excursions with the school and
being able to experience both campuses during my trip.
What was your least favorite part?: “Being apart from my husband was challenging at times but it became easier over time.
Also saying goodbye to my host family and the friends that I had met in Costa Rica
proved to be a huge challenge. I remember on my last day that all I could think about
was wishing that I had more time to spend there but I also was very grateful for the
opportunity. I grew very close to my host families and would love to visit them again
one of these days.”
How has study abroad affected your life now?:
“It helped my Spanish so much and also gave me the desire to want to learn more of
the
language and about the different aspects of their culture. I now also have what is
known as the ‘travel bug’, like crazy, and wish to travel as much as I can.”
After graduating from MSUB, Koryn is considering possibly looking into graduate programs outside of the U.S. in Latin America or Spain so that she can have more of a Spanish immersion experience.
What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?: “I learned so much about myself and who I am as a person. I was already an independent person before this experience but this really brought out that side of me. The experience also taught me that I needed to continue to be more adventurous and be willing to try out new things and meet new people. I also learned a good amount about how the family dynamic works in that country. I thought that it was very interesting that in it is very common for not only the children to live with their parents until they are married, even if they are going to college, but also that they commonly take care of their parents when they are elderly. Both of my host families seem to be very close to one another and look after each other very closely.”
What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?: “Go into this experience with an open mind and be willing to try new things. While
the experience can be costly in some ways, it is 100 percent worth every penny. Also,
spend any extra money that you might have on experiences and not so much on things
you really don’t need. The memories that you make during those experiences are so
much more valuable than the souvenirs. This experience is a great opportunity for
others to grow not only in an academic sense but also as a person and so keep this
in mind while on your journey.”
Makiko Yamashita
Age: 23 years old
Degree: Organizational Communication
Prior Language Knowledge: Japanese is first language; English 12 years; Spanish 1 1/2 years
Study Abroad Country: Heredia, Costa Rica, Intercultura Language Institution
Length: Summer Semester 2008 (4 months)
Why?
For Makiko, she was working towards a degree in Spanish and wanted to "know what
it is like" to study abroad. She also wanted to meet more people. She already made
the leap when she came to America from her home country of Japan, and wanted to experience
the Spanish side adventure.
Would you do it again?
She said that she would really enjoy living abroad again. She does not want to go necessarily as a tourist, because then you only get to see certain parts of the country that everyone sees when they visit. She would love to live among the people and get to know the "real" country. Makiko wants to now visit Argentina or Colombia for 4-6 months, and wants to return to Costa Rica for a visit to her host family. "They were kind people."
How has this study abroad affected your life now?
"I'm definitely more understanding of people now and the differences of people. I
am also more patient -- so patient, especially when it comes to language. I have so
much more patience because in Costa Rica getting anything done took more time."
What advice/words of wisdom would you offer students interested in studying abroad?
"Do it!! Make lots of student loans -- it is worth it!" Makiko wanted to make her
college education well rounded, and did so by studying in Costa Rica and obtaining
a double American degree at MSUB. She told me, in light of the MasterCard commercial,
that "There's some things money can't buy -- just swipe your credit card." She knows
that her small student debt was worth every penny because of the experience she lived
through. She reflected on her experience and told me how different it is than living
here in the U.S. To break through barriers and realize how many Costa Ricans really
view Americans, and that it was a more realistic point of view, was really positive.
It really was a bridge-building experience. An adventure she tells everyone they should
try for themselves!
What was your favorite part?
Makiko is a social bug at heart and did indeed meet many new people during her study
abroad. "My favorite part was meeting people -- everyone from students to people at
the bars."
What was your least favorite part?
One thing that you have to be careful of in a foreign country is stereotypes of Americans.
Makiko told me how she had to have her guard up against being taken advantage of.
She said, "Walking down the street people saw me as a 'George Washington,' that is,
walking money." One way she combated the stigma was by asking her host family how
much she should be charged so she would know the expected price.
What was the easiest aspect of your study abroad experience?
"Food!" Makiko told me, "Many people told me that I would miss Japanese food, but
no, I didn't!" She really enjoyed the food her host family cooked, and she even learned
how to cook traditional Costa Rican food along with them!
What was the hardest aspect or challenge you faced studying abroad?
"The hardest part of studying abroad is the language barrier." Makiko knew the language,
but was not the most efficient at it, like most people who study a language apart
from their native tongue. Sometimes people had the impression that she was not the
smartest person because her vocabulary was not at college level or the tempo of her
conversations were not at full speed. This stigma does fade with time and practice
of the language, though.