Zhihui (Whitney) Gao

October 17, 2014

Embracing my Language Challenge at Make-A-Wish Foundation in Spain

How do you deal with the unexpected when you are abroad and alone? How do you make your life easier when there is a culture and even a language barrier in the working environment? In my presentation, you will find my answers to the above questions. In order to further improve my Spanish, I decided to do my internship at Make-A-Wish Foundation in Barcelona, Spain this past summer. Having learned Spanish for only four semesters at Mount Holyoke College, I was absolutely not ready to work and live merely by speaking Spanish. However, I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and to push myself a little bit harder. It was not an easy start but the big challenge resolved smoothly throughout the two months. In the end, the challenging internship became a rewarding experience both for my Spanish learning and for my personal growth.