We caught up with Akilah, an AIFS Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain alum from the University of Houston! In the following interview, she outlines why she chose AIFS as her …
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Akilah Phillips
Akilah Phillips
AIFS Program: Barcelona, Spain | School: University of Houston | Bio: Hola! ¿Cómo estás? Me llamo Akilah Phillips and I am a senior at the University of Houston where I am majoring in Human Foods and Nutrition and minoring in Spanish for Global Professions (Healthcare Concentration). I always knew that I wanted to study abroad in Barcelona but I never thought that an entire semester abroad in Europe would be possible. Thankfully, the Universitat Pompeu Fabra’s Global Health Program allowed me to finish the last classes I needed for my Spanish minor. Barcelona is an amazing city with so much to see and do. With an apartment 5 minutes from the beach, it truly felt like a dream. Inma and the rest of the AIFS staff there were unbelievably amazing and welcoming. The best part of being in Barcelona to me was being able to practice my Spanish everyday with locals. Not only did three months in Spain significantly improve my Spanish, but I learned just as much in the classroom as I did outside of it. Eight countries and 15 cities later, I feel like a true European traveler and I have been able to meet people from all over the world. I went into this experience completely open minded and I can honestly say I’ve gained a greater appreciation of this world because of it! I even used my three months to reflect on my choice in career paths. Upon studying abroad, i was premedical student a semester away from graduating but my time abroad helped convinced me to take an extra semester to pursue my passion in the field of Sports Nutrition. Studying abroad is a truly once in a life experience that I will treasure forever and these memories will stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you AIFS for making this possible.