Cassidy Crouch

Cassidy is an English major. She attended the Mexico Teaching Program in summer 2022.

A Conversation with Cassidy

What was the most surprising thing about study abroad?

So, because I didn't know what to expect, there were a lot of things that surprised me while in Mexico. First of all, I thought it would be more difficult to speak and have conversation with the people in Mexico because I don't know Spanish and the majority of them spoke only Spanish. However, it wasn't as difficult as I thought because I started to pick up some of their language or at least enough to have a short conversation with them. It was especially helpful when I picked up some of their language when buying things because they don't have the same currency as the U.S. and that was interesting to learn the equivalent of 20 pesos is $1.

What was your favorite part about study abroad?

My favorite part while being in Mexico was teaching some of the kids in Mexico. They would go to public school and then after they got out, they would come to us and they were so happy to be there and so was I. I would always get excited on our way to the school because just in a short amount of time I had made a connection with these kids. I enjoyed teaching them while they were also teaching me. They really enjoyed teaching me some Spanish and while I was trying to sound out some of their words I was struggling a little bit but they all thought it was hilarious.

What is your advise to students considering study broad?

My advice to students who want to study abroad and go on this program in the future is do it! You will never experience anything like it and it's definitely mind blowing. It will not only better you in your teaching career, but also your mind set in life. Not all places in the world have a good education system like the U.S. so this trip made me really appreciate what I have and where I live, but I would go back to Mexico in a heartbeat because the atmosphere is just so different in a good way.