Elizabeth Evers
Elizabeth Evers (she/her) - Stanford in Madrid
Major: Human Biology
Minor: Human Rights
College year while abroad: Junior
About the photo: This photo is me with my homestay mom, Isabel. This photo was taken in her living room when my mom came to visit for Thanksgiving. It was so special to have my mom and my homestay mom meet.
Q&As
Why did you choose to study abroad in Madrid?
I chose to study in Madrid because of the immersive linguistic experience. My main goal for studying abroad was to reach Spanish fluency. The Madrid program’s language pledge seemed like an exciting opportunity to challenge myself and focus on my Spanish. I was particularly excited by the homestay, since I had such an amazing experience with my homestay through the BOSP Community Health in Oaxaca Global Seminar. I was also interested in living in an urban environment, with the opportunity to explore art, museums, live music, and all that the capital of Spain had to offer.
What were your expectations before you went and how did those change once you arrived in Madrid?
The summer before I studied in Madrid, I participated in the Oaxaca Global Seminar through BOSP. During this month-long program, we had lots of scheduled programming and very little free time. Coming into the Madrid program, I didn’t expect to have as much free time and flexibility as I ended up having. I quickly realized I had the opportunity to explore all across Madrid. I gathered recommendations from our language partners, friends, and Madrid program staff, and compiled a list of the activities I wanted to do (on a shared Google Map). One of my favorites was visiting the Sorolla Museum every few weeks, which is located right by the Institute.
What were some of the academic benefits from studying abroad in Madrid?
One of the highlights of my academic experience in Madrid was the General Internship Seminar. I interned with La Comisión para la Investigación de los Malos Tratos a Mujeres, an NGO focused on eradicating gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. They’ve pioneered widely-recognized intervention measures, including establishing the first toll-free telephone support service for women in abusive situations across Spain. As an intern at the La Comisión, I went to their office three mornings per week and attended events throughout Madrid. I was able to gain professional experience working in Spanish, while building connections with the young Madrileñas who worked there.
What did you learn about yourself while you were studying abroad?
Before studying abroad, I considered myself an extrovert who always preferred spending time with others while exploring and traveling. In Madrid, I discovered a love for mini-solo-adventures (ie visiting museums alone). I specifically remember sitting in the courtyard of the Reina Sofía Museum mid-way through the quarter, journaling under the Alexander Calder sculpture about my experiences over the last 5 weeks. It can feel like your quarter abroad is flying by, so it was helpful to take these small moments to step back and reflect on all that I was experiencing (and to consider how I wanted the rest of my time in Madrid to look).
What was the most challenging experience you encountered while you were abroad and what did you learn from it?
For my art history class, we visited the Prado Museum every week. I found it difficult in the beginning to keep up with the professor’s descriptions of the art pieces we were seeing, amid the hustle and bustle of the museum. I felt lost and started to panic. I ended up speaking with the professor during the third week to discuss how I could improve my comprehension in that environment. She recommended that I walk alongside her and that I speak with her after our classes to cover any of my questions. From then on, I frequently sked her questions and was able to dive into the material.
What was the biggest cultural adjustment you had to make?
The biggest cultural adjustment was the eating schedule. In Spain, people tend to eat very small breakfasts later in the morning (or no breakfast at all), a large lunch around 2pm (ish), and a late dinner (around 10pm). I found it quite difficult to adjust to eating late at night (around 10pm), but I learned to utilize the evening period to explore the city (and to find yummy snacks).
What was your favorite part of your everyday life in Madrid?
I loved my dinners with Isabel, my homestay mom. I lived with her and another Stanford student, and it was so much fun to chat about our days every night and ask her questions. She would also help us with our Spanish, providing a more accurate vocab word or more concise way of saying something. These meals helped me establish a sense of home and comfort while studying very far from my family.
What was the most memorable experience you had while you were in Madrid?
One of my most memorable experiences was our Bing Trip to the Canary Islands. We spent about 5 days in Tenerife, hiking, swimming, visiting museums, and spending time at the beach. The most vivid memory I have is from our afternoon on a boat with our entire cohort. We pulled into a bay where we jumped off and swam, listened to music, enjoyed delicious food, and saw dolphins. It was one of the most beautiful places I have been to, and it was so special to share the experience with my cohort.
What 5 words would you use to describe your experience?
Transformative, engaging, dynamic, rewarding, and fun.
What was your favorite food or music?
My favorite food was tortilla espanola, a classic Spanish dish made primarily with eggs, potatoes, and onions, often enjoyed as a tapa or a main meal. My homestay mom gave us tortilla espanola most nights and I loved how comforting it is. I also loved trying different types of tortillas across Spain, and within Madrid (Pez Tortilla is a must-try).
What was the most valuable item you took with you on the program?
While my phone was undoubtedly the most valuable item, I was also very glad to have brought a small lock. I used it to keep my bag secure as I traveled throughout Spain (it’s particularly helpful for hostels). I also used it when visiting Barcelona to avoid pick-pocketing.
Please share some details about your internship experience? Who did you work with, what did you do and what did you learn from it?
I interned with La Comisión para la Investigación de Malos Tratos a Mujeres, recognized as a United Nations Consultative NGO. La Comisión was founded in 1977 as an organization focused on eradicating gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. The team is made up of feminist professionals, including psychologists, social workers, doctors, sociologists, and lawyers, all dedicated to ending violence against women. As an intern at the La Comisión, I went to their office three mornings per week, working on transcriptions of videos and interviews to support their blog, reviewing/scanning various questionnaires, and creating promotional materials. The office was made up of entirely young women, and I was able to build connections with them as they became core parts of my study-abroad experience. It was one of the most linguistically and culturally immersive aspects of my experience in Madrid.