Emma Castillo is studying International Commerce and was awarded the Uni International Scholarship to study for a semester in Gijón, Spain.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes, that was the main reason why I decided to stay at Uni.
When you entered your career, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
I always believed in it, it was something I wanted to do, but at some point I thought it could not be possible, but with effort I had the opportunity and I was able to achieve it.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, never.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
To be able to learn about another culture, to get to know another country as a student, to be able to live this experience at this age and above all to be able to grow both culturally and personally, to know that I could meet many people of different nationalities and feel what it was like to live away from home, without having everything so easy, to know that it was a challenge because it was something completely new for me.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Because from the moment I decided to go abroad to study, I had always thought about Europe so that when I was studying I could take advantage and get to know other countries in that continent and Spain was what they offered at that time.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
It took me a while to realize that I was in another country and on another continent, but the moment I arrived I could not believe that I had fulfilled one of my dreams and that I was so far away by myself, without my family and friends.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
There were always people who helped us and were very attentive if we needed anything. It was shocking to see for the first time the University where I was going to study.
What will you miss most about Mexico?
What I missed the most was the food, of course after my family and friends, but something I also missed a lot was the hospitality and charisma that we Mexicans have.
What about the Uni?
The atmosphere that can be experienced within the classroom, teachers, friends and classmates.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
Being able to make a small family with people I did not know, the fear of knowing if we would get along well (difficult when they are all women ha ha) but at the end of the day we managed to make a very nice friendship full of good memories and experiences.
And the hardest part?
Adapting to an educational system very different from the one you are used to, where you don't have mid-term exams but simply a final exam.
But the most difficult thing is to say goodbye to the friends you have made along the way and you don't know when or if you will see them again.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?
May all that I have lived and learned improve or positively change the person I am and not remain just another trip.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
100 percent!!! if something was clear to me with this experience, it is that if you want to do something, do it and do not stay with the "what will happen or what would have happened?" you have to try and that fear or uncertainty is not an obstacle to get what you want.