Every summer, Aragon students have the opportunity to participate in the Council on International Educational Exchange study abroad programs. CIEE is a nonprofit organization that coordinates trips for high school and college students. With a strong emphasis on bringing people around the globe together, CIEE aims to help students develop a holistic understanding of themselves and others.
Spanish teacher and CIEE organizer Amelia Salis participated in the program when she was a student. She continues to be involved by encouraging students to broaden their horizons through CIEE.
“I travelled to Mexico when I was 16 and it changed my life,” Salis said. “It was being away from my parents, getting out of the bubble of the Bay Area and just seeing how other people live [that made it] an experience that you just can’t beat.”
“It was … seeing how other people live [that made it] an experience that you just can’t beat”
CIEE programs include different topics such as language, environmental science, business and more. Students can choose to study different fields to focus on their interests and personalize their study abroad experience. Salis believes CIEE’s language immersion program is effective in honing students’ language skills.
“Because you have to express yourself in that language, you are forced to dig deep into your brain to articulate yourself,” Salis said. “[Students] come back completely confident in their Spanish, well beyond what they were before they left on the trip.”
Senior Natalie Thacker was enrolled in the language immersion program this past summer. She travelled to Madrid and stayed with a host family.
“I improved so much because I was speaking Spanish all the time,” Thacker said. “I got to practice new vocabulary [and] it was really fun.”
Along with educational value, students are able to connect with others from diverse backgrounds.
“The students meet new friends from all over the United States and the world,” Salis said. “[Students] say it’s organized, and the representatives from CIEE are there to help them with any problems they may have. [Students] come back [as] a changed person.”
“I learned a lot of new things and I met a lot of good people”
For Thacker, studying abroad gave her the chance to independently explore a new city.
“I stayed in Madrid and I had a metro pass so I could go wherever I wanted,” Thacker said. “One time I was lost at night in the metro. I had to take the initiative to ask strangers for help. It was … difficult sometimes because [Spanish] is not my native language. They speak … fast in Spain but … [people were] willing to help.”
Junior Truman Lee travelled to Palma de Mallorca, Spain last summer to do a science-based program.
“I did the global navigator program and we investigated marine biology,” Lee said. “It changed my [entire] outlook on life. I value marine biology and the marine life in our ecosystems a lot more now. I think it was a great experience [because] I learned a lot of new things and I met a lot of good people.”
For the past seven years, Aragon has been one of the 16 schools in California to be considered a Global Navigator School, partnering with CIEE to provide scholarships and various opportunities for students to acquire skills outside of a typical classroom setting. CIEE applications are due on Jan. 14, 2022 and open to all students.
