CHS Students Gain IPE and Spanish Language Skills in Maymester Abroad
Published June 20, 2023 By Darlene Muguiro UTEP College of Health Sciences
Earlier this month, a group of 28 UTEP students, including Speech-Language Pathology and Rehabilitation Sciences majors, returned to El Paso following a three-week study abroad experience in Seville, Spain, led by Drs. Beverly Argus-Calvo (College of Education - Special Education) and Amelia Rau (College of Health Sciences - Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences).
“The purpose of the 2023 FLP Collaboration in Health and Education (affiliated with The Center for Cross-Cultural Study in Spanish Studies Abroad) was to immerse students into an abroad encounter designed to facilitate professional collaboration, exposure to diversity, and Spanish language skill acquisition/enhancement through a community-engaged experience,” said Rau.
To achieve these goals, students completed coursework in three areas: DRSC 4311 The Science of Collaboration thru Neuroscience in Rehabilitation; SLP 5344 Structures of Spanish for Health and Education; and, SPED 3310/4350/5350 Global Perspectives of Special Education Services. Additional activities on Inter Professional Education (IPE) were provided by CHS doctoral student, Ms. Rosario Olivera. While there, the students visited several local schools, residential living centers, and hospitals and met with policy makers for disability rights. Cultural activities included visits to the markets, gastronomy demonstrations, wine and chocolate tastings, flamenco dance lessons, and trips to see several of the local convents.
“We are all forever changed, but a bit exhausted,” Rau joked. “Our students walked upwards of 20,000 steps daily with tours of Sevilla’s City Center, Parque de María Luisa and Plaza de España, Royal Palace (Alcazar), Jewish Quarter (Barrio Santa Cruz), Cathedral, Archive of the Indies, Torre del Oro, the Fine Arts Museum, and Hospital de la Caridad.”
Rau mentioned that the schedule include several day trips to cities outside Seville, including Córdoba, where the group toured the Royal Palace, Synagogue/Jewish Quarter and Mosque-Cathedral (Mezquita); a day excursion to Ronda with a walking tour and trip to a bullfighting ring; an overnight study trip to Granada, including visits to Albayzín, Alhambra Palace and Generalife gardens, and the Royal Chapel; a two-night study trip to Madrid; and, a day trip to Toledo with a visit to the synagogue of Toledo.
Mikaela Reyes, a graduate student majoring in Speech-Language Pathology, said the study-abroad experience – her first trip outside of the U.S. – included multiple memorable moments. However, it was a trek up the Giralda Bell Tower in Seville that truly stood out for her and taught her a valuable life lesson. While known for having one of the most beautiful views in the city, individuals have to climb 34 winding ramps (approximately 42 meters high) to experience the vista. As an individual with a disability, Reyes was initially intimidated by the climbing challenge.
“I never imagined I would be physically capable of reaching the top, but I told myself I would experience this, no matter what it takes. So, ramp by ramp, I climbed up, taking small breaks, and eventually reached the top,” she said. “The struggle to get to the top was absolutely worth it. I realized that this was a metaphor for my journey in life – the challenge of balancing my school and personal life while managing my chronic illness. Nonetheless, I have excelled in school and continue to do so.”
Reyes mentioned that she also valued the opportunity to collaborate with students outside of her own discipline in the IPE assignments and outings, including educators, social workers, and occupational and physical therapists, which she says she can utilize in her professional career to improve outcomes for her patients. The strict rule about speaking only Spanish in her classes also helped her strengthen her Spanish language skills.
“I learned proper speech-language pathology terms in Spanish, which I can use when communicating with my future patients and their families…which will help yield better patient outcomes,” she said. “Many bilingual children are misdiagnosed with a language disorder rather than a language difference. However, since we learned how to use language sample analysis software to assist in assessing bilingual children, I will be able to determine the difference among my patients.”
Reyes encourages students interested in studying abroad to reach out early to faculty and the UTEP Study Abroad Office to assist with questions about financing the experience, or any accommodations that might be necessary.
“I don’t think I would have been able to embark on this experience without the help of Drs. Calvo and Rau; they were so supportive,” she said. “There is help for students who need it, and if they have the chance to go, it will definitely be an experience they will remember for the rest of their life!”
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