2000 Mexico study program

By Chad Grant, 2000 summer study participant

Left to right: Chad Grant with housemates Ryan Poe, Maricarmen Culebra, Chris Wallace, and Ryan Oelke. (Click photo to enlarge)

Along with my 24 compañeros from Missouri Western, I immersed myself in Mexican culture and made an effort to advance my knowledge of the Spanish language with the help of Dr. Shell, Señora Patricia Cathey, the faculty of the Spanish Language Institute, my madre and scores of daredevil taxi drivers in Cuernavaca.

The day we arrived in Mexico, we toured the pyramids and ruins at Teotihuacán, just north of Mexico City. It was a great orientation to the experience. These pre-Hispanic marvels of engineering that we had seen and read about in class were now looming in front of us, and for some of us who made the climb to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun, beneath our feet. For me, this was the first thing that made the experience corporeal.

Pyramids outside Mexico City (Click photo to enlarge)

After being impressed by the piramides, we turned south and traveled to the city that would be our home for three weeks - Cuernavaca. Cuernavaca is a city of approximately 600,000 people in the state of Morelos southwest of Mexico City. Cuernavaca is at a significant altitude, but because of its relative proximity to the equator, its climate is very tropical. The city is home to some of the oldest vestiges of the Spanish colonization, including the palace of Hernán Cortés, begun in 1522, just one year after the completion of the conquest of the Aztecs.

Upon arrival in Cuernavaca, we were taken to the main campus of the Spanish Language Institute where we received a comprehensive orientation to the school and the city. After this day filled with new sights and sounds, we were to be acquainted with our familias and the women who would be our mamás for the duration of our stay. A woman read the housing assignments, and I kept waiting for my name to be called. I knew the name of my mamá, and I anxiously surveyed the group of women and wondered which one was Maricarmen Culebra. The woman who had been reading the assignment cards seemed to finish and looked up and said that the rest of us were coming with her. She was Maricarmen, my mamá and a woman who was a superlative ambassador - both for the Institute, as she was also a teacher, and for the country of Mexico. Maricarmen's hospitality made the stay a pleasure, and she is someone to whom I am eternally grateful.

Cathedral in Mexico City (Click photo to enlarge)

My home experience was great. Maricarmen was perfectly willing to do just about anything to accommodate us. If there was any reservation about a certain food, she was always willing to compromise, no questions asked. She and her daughter Mari were adept at drawing my housemates and me into conversation, and they both seemed to genuinely care even if it was laborious for us to express our English thoughts in Spanish. Many times I got the impression that Maricarmen just wanted to mercifully finish the sentence for me. Many times I wished she would have, but she was always patient, realizing that we had to speak to learn. On at least two occasions, Maricarmen packed a lunch for me for excursions offered by the school. Along with the abundance of food, there was always a note wishing me "un buen día." I still have these well-wishings, and I think they are my favorite mementos from the trip.

Grant parasails on the beach at Acapulco (Click photo to enlarge)

My class schedule included two hours of conversation in the morning, first with Monica and later with Maricarmen. These classes expanded our Spanish vocabulary by necessity and helped give us a boost in confidence so we were a little less reluctant to try and communicate. Following Conversación, most of our group spent one hour daily with Maru, familiarizing ourselves with common Spanish expressions. The highlight of the school week occurred on Fridays in Maru's class, when Juan Alejandro would come with his guitar, and we would butcher traditional Mexican canciones. I still catch myself humming or whistling "La Cucaracha."

For the second half of the school day, I had Gramática with Rosalba. Rosalba launched into some serious Spanish on the first day of class and never let up on us. Every day, towards the end of the second hour, I could feel my brain literally boil from all the work it was forced to do and the heat generated. There were three essential phrases to know going into Gramática: 1) Otra vez, por favor (Again, please); 2) No comprendo, Rosalba (I don't understand, Rosalba); and when you just could not handle any more rules of Spanish, 3) ¿Un juego, por favor? (A game, please?). I truly thought Gramática was difficult, but I believe that the class was the most beneficial to me.

The experience in Mexico was very rewarding personally. Before, I had an interest in the culture that begat some interest in learning the language. After, I am extremely interested in learning the language as an expedient to comprehending the culture. I am convinced that an immersion program is the best method to accomplish fluency, and I hope to return to study more sometime in the future.

Aztec dancers at the Mexico City Zócalo (Click photo to enlarge)

The trip was not entirely school. There were so many opportunities to visit so many attractions, and it is ridiculous not to take advantage of as many as possible. The school offered a guided excursion to Taxco, a silver mining town some distance from Cuernavaca. I enjoyed the sights in this colonial town. The churches and cathedral against the backdrop of the mountains and the narrow cobblestone streets were out of a painting. The excursion to Las Estacas was worth whatever price. It was a veritable tropical paradise. I also enjoyed both trips to Mexico City. There is much to see in this largest city in the world, and on the first trip, I think we saw it all in a day. Also, there is something empowering and life-affirming about standing sandwiched between layers of humanity on a subway in this gigantic city.

Cuernavaca provided many opportunities for diversion as well. I enjoyed visiting the various museums, especially the one contained in Cortés' palace. The cathedral downtown was impressive, and the markets were fun, even if you were not buying anything. For excitement, one only needed to hail a cab and then hold on for a ride that rivaled any roller coaster in the States.

Every place we stayed or went was enjoyable, but my favorite has to be Acapulco. Maybe it was the fact that, after three weeks, Spanish was no longer required, but more likely it was the ocean and the vacation atmosphere that I loved. Regardless of the reason, I think it was the perfect exclamation point to three weeks well spent.

Shell and Cathey program directors:

Students received eight hours of college credit: two credits for the preparatory class which met weekly from February 8 - April 18, and six credits for their experience in Cuernavaca, which included living with Spanish-speaking families and attending six hours each week at the Spanish Language Institute.

Summer Study in Mexico participants included Jeenan Allen, Amy Bedolla, Brandi Blackburn, Geneva Blair, Jason Buss, Jason Eslinger, Sarah Farnan, Chad Grant, Ashlie Hammond, Christina Hazelwood, Raquel Lowdon, Philip Nelson, Lisa O'Dell, Ryan Oelke, Collin Osborn, Jared Patrick, Ryan Poe, Beth Praiswater, Sarah Rhoades, Angie Salcedo, Chad Scheiter, Nickie Schuelen, Angie St. Clair, Chris Wallace, and Nicole Wells.