Kenzie Helmick: Madrid Study Abroad

Although the flurry of activities, exams, and last-time visits with friends made it hard to process, the last week of my Study Abroad program in Madrid brought countless emotions. Of course, I was sad and already missing the friends I had made in Spain, the newfound comfortably I had felt with the city’s workings, and the classes I had attended. Yet, mostly, I was sad – and scared – to leave the total and all-encompassing immersion in the Spanish language. I felt sad because I loved the challenge of a constant need for and practice of the language, with everyday interactions transformed into a trial and, as a result, an opportunity for a tiny triumph. I also felt scared because, knowing that I would never be able to completely recreate this type of learning environment in my own country, I feared that I would lose the language skills I had spent the last month honing and developing.

Scenery from Kenzie Helmick’s Madrid Study Abroad Experience

As I returned to the U.S., attempted to recover from jetlag, and unpacked by bags, I also began developing proactive strategies through which I could continue to practice and develop my Spanish, despite the fact I was no longer surrounded by the language. Now, in addition to continuing my language classes at Rollins, I plan on meeting with Spanish-speaking friends once or twice a week to share a dinner and conversation entirely in Spanish. I’ve also found myself becoming engrossed in Spanish music, television programs, and movies, using them as resources and learning opportunities to practice my listening comprehension as well as exposure to cultural nuances. Finally, I hope to put my language skills to use by volunteering at organizations, such as the Hope CommUnity Center or Planned Parenthood, that target their outreach to Latinx and Spanish-speaking populations.

Yet what I fear most is that the end results of all these efforts will be nothing more than a maintenance of my current level of Spanish, preventing me from losing what I have gained while being insufficient to boost me up to the next level. Of course, this is one of the inevitable challenges of returning from studying abroad – an obstacle that I’m looking forward to meeting and overcoming through continual practice.

I have presented my Thesis a few times, and have discussed its topic with multiple people. All were from Rollins College, and most were very familiar with the topic of Marketing and Branding. Given this conference was international, and included multiple topics, not all that were present were familiar with Branding. To see their reaction to the presentation and to see how interested they were was very rewarding. After the presentation was completed, there was a Q&A section. I did not know what to expect in this section, and to my surprise there were multiple people who raised their hands. Before asking their questions, they congratulated the study and expressed their interest in the topic. Compared to the other presentations, this was not a usual response. I was very glad to hear that others, from other fields, found the topic of my Thesis interesting, and wanted to hear more about it, beyond what I had presented. This reaction from the audience really boosted my morale about my Thesis, made me feel proud of what I have accomplished, and gave me more incentive to want to continue working on it.

The last part of my Thesis was to address the gaps in the research. Once these were addressed, Dr. Fetscherin and I saw how there was so much potential to continue expanding on the Thesis After my graduation, we continued to work on these goals, and are continuously working towards publishing these studies. I enjoy the topic of Brand Hate and Brand Forgiveness, and enjoy continuing studying it. Nevertheless, it was great to see that other people enjoy it as well and are fascinated by it. Presenting my Thesis was a great experience, and receiving this reaction from the audience was even a better one.

I attended the Global Business Research Journal Conference in Zurich, Switzerland on July 13^th, 2018. The conference attracted speakers from all over the world, with a large variety of topics, focused towards Marketing, Education, Tourism and Hospitality. My Thesis presentation was scheduled for the second block of the conference, towards the middle of the day, which gave me the chance to see some presentations before presenting.

I had the opportunity to see presentations in the field of education, including speakers from South America, Asia, and North America. Given this was an international conference, most of the education presentations were focused on teaching the Language English. Given this is our native language in the United States, learning English as a foreign language is not common or relatable. However, I was born in Brazil, and began learning English as my second language at the age of 6. Hearing other professors from various countries presenting their teaching techniques and discussion what worked and what did not work all sounded very familiar to me. I was able to relate to their presentations, feel comfort in the environment, and was very interested in their subjects.

Oddly enough, seeing presentations in a field outside of my area of study, sparked an interest in me, which completely calmed my nerves of presenting in front of a large audience. I was so involved in their topics that I did not pay attention to me being nervous about presenting. It was great to see presentations prior to presenting so that I was able to get a feel of the audience and of the conference. It was also great to have been more relaxed prior to presenting, allowing me to really enjoy the experience, and even want to do it again.

I recently reached the half-way point of my month-long study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, in which I am taking 2 courses – a language course and a history seminar class taught exclusively in Spanish – and have participated in two excursions to Toledo and Valencia through International Studies Abroad (ISA), a program affiliated with Rollins.

This program also marks my fifth month living and studying in a Spanish-speaking country, as I spent four months in Chile through another study abroad program with School for International Training (SIT) before, just three short weeks later, arriving to Spain.

I specifically chose to participate in two language-exchange programs back-to-back in order to have a more intensified, language-learning experience in which I am immersed in my language of study for as much time and as consistently as possible. I first realized the importance of this thorough immersion through my first program in Chile, during which I spent the final month working on an individual research project, interviewing, writing and working exclusively in Spanish and traveling alone. Within these two and a half short weeks, my Spanish improved more than it had in my first month studying.

As a result, I have dedicated my time here in Spain to living and speaking with locals and the language as much as possible outside of the classroom. Instead of staying in a traditional dorm or residence hall in a university, I am staying with a local host family, an 82-year old woman named Irene and her fulltime living assistant, with whom I talk exclusively in Spanish. Outside of class, I am participating in a program of “intercambio,” in which individuals from Madrid, and students from the ISA program, are able to meet and practice their Spanish and English. Finally, with the friends I’ve made from my classes, students of other study abroad programs from Brazil, Holland, and Thailand, I speak exclusively in Spanish, even though all of us know and understand English.

With this constant practice, and my previous background living in Chile, my Spanish has continued to improve exponentially. Of course, it’s hard to continually be conscious of this growth, yet there are times in which I realize the improvement I’ve made, either by surprising myself with a new phrase or word remembered or understood, or complex conversation maintained, or by the words of encouragement given by my professors or homestay. It is these moments that continue to encourage me to push myself out of my comfort zone and speak, and speak often, with others.

From June 4 to 29, 2018, I completed a 4-week TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course in Barva, Hereida, Costa Rica. Post-completion of the course, my TEFL certification permits me to teach English anywhere around the world. Being a Social Entrepreneurship major with no authentic teaching experience, I was intimated by the idea of becoming an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. However, I was surrounded by 19-other passionate TEFL trainees coming from all different backgrounds, which was an inspiring and comforting factor. Even though, all of us being a wide range of ages and possessing different credentials, we all shared a common goal—the desire to become effective and successful ESL teachers.

Being a part of the 4-week course gave me the opportunity to teach 6 different teaching practicums to real ESL students. With no teaching experience at all, I was timid to execute my teaching practicums with full confidence. However, International TEFL Academy Costa Rica (ITA) prepared me sufficiently and teaching in a real ESL setting became to seem so natural to me. Teaching students older in age than me was daunting and yet so inspiring. I learned so much from them, as they did from me. They yearn to speak English better than I can. They would elicit as much information out of me to expand their English vocabulary and grammar knowledge. I learned that teaching starter students, typically high school students, is such a challenge, yet so rewarding. With ESL, we are taught to not provide any translations to vocabulary words of the students’ native tongue. This is how they learn best. The ITA philosophy of teaching ESL is just incredible—English only with immense Student Talk Time. The teaching style is effective, and reliable 100% of the time.

It was Tuesday, June 12^th—my very first teaching practicum ever. I was placed to teach at Hogares Crea, a conservative boys home. Their level was “starter,” and they were a group of six, rowdy teenage boys. They live there, therefore, they choose whether or not to be in English class that day. The ones who show up want to learn with all their might. The boys do not know a lick of English. “Starter” students typically have some basis of the English language, however, the knowledge that these boys displayed was slim to none. So, I provoked my adaptability for the entirety of the 45-50 minute lesson. Using filler words or phrases such as “now, we are going to…” is purely noise to them. The aim/objective of my lesson was for them to understand the present simple tense, positives and negatives. Something that seems so basic to learn, is not so basic when you have never taken an English class in your life or English is not your native language. Just getting one grammar point across was my new goal: the importance of placing an “s” on the present simple verb for third person singular pronouns. Baffled looks on all six of their faces, the philosophy of an ESL lesson underscores the importance of speaking. Just getting them to generate present simple sentences was a battle but they needed it. The more Student Talk Time produced, the more they remembered the grammar point. The more I talked “at” them, they absorbed nothing. Consequently, this was my first exposure to teaching a starter class, and in its exhausting, all-consuming procedure, I loved every second of it.

Observing my experienced teachers, Luke Panek and Melanie Lubinas at ITA gave me the tools needed to successfully perform the teaching practicums. After observing, the implementation phase was the most beneficial part of the learning process. Then, being observed from multiple experienced teachers fresh out of the TEFL course, I received such incredible feedback to use in my additional lessons. If and when I so choose to live abroad and teach English, I am well equipped to do so. I plan to teach English online following the course to gain more practical experience, while I finish my undergrad degree. I can wholeheartedly say that I am confident in my ESL teaching abilities to teach English to foreign language learners.

Krescent Williams presenting her research at the European Geosciences Union Conference in Vienna

Before attending the EGU conference, I always thought of Rollins as a good school, but at the EGU’s Early Career Scientists (ECS) Debate I learned how valuable my education at Rollins has truly been. The debate wasn’t a normal debate — it turned out that the attendees were actually the ones participating. So as each person arrived, they sent us to tables with 7-10 people each and gave us the question, “should early career scientists use time to develop transferrable skills?”

At my table, there were two people from Germany, one from Switzerland, two from Iran, and one from Turkey. Among the seven of us, I was the only undergraduate and the youngest there, two were professors, one owned her own scientific tech company, and the rest of them were in graduate or Ph.D. school. It was slightly intimidating at first, but once we started conversing, I felt like I had plenty to contribute. Due to the vagueness of the question, we first examined and developed what we thought they meant by and our own definition of “transferrable skills.” Then, another supplementary question we considered thoroughly was, “what are some concrete skills?” For this question, I listened to the entire group as I tried to arrange my thoughts. Once everyone had spoken, I spoke about my double major in chemistry and music, Rollins’ liberal arts education, and how both have led me to believe that the most useful skills in any situation are communication, creativity, and adaptability. The group was impressed with Rollins’ values and methods, and we actually talked about how we could apply them into our research/lives. Having these conversations and getting to hear the opinions/experiences of this eclectic group gave me an unprecedented appreciation for the global community Rollins teaches and cherishes. It’s something I’ll never forget.

Krescent Williams with fellow GeoTenerife summer interns at the EGU Conference in Vienna, Austria

I arrived at the European Geosciences Union Conference in the Austria Center Vienna with  a beating heart and a curious mind. I walked into the first building and immediately met a witty Austrian man who helped me sign in and pick up my registration packet. After, I walked further into a massive room with hundreds of scientific posters, all related to different fields of geoscience. Little did I realize there were five other rooms just like it with poster sessions that rotated several times daily, and another building across the walkway with five floors of lecture rooms and an expo in the middle. Almost 16,000 geoscientists were in attendance in the week-long conference, so to say I was overwhelmed would probably have been an understatement.

Austria Center Vienna hosted the European Geosciences Union Conference

As time progressed, though, I began feeling more comfortable with the layout and structure of the conference. I tried to soak up as much as I could – I went from session to session, hearing interesting oral presentations and interacting at poster sessions. With topics such as UV and IR imaging of volcanic phenomenon, wildfire aerosol analysis, the use of d18-O isotopes in rodent teeth to generate new climate records, and electromagnetic music, I began to finally piece together the vast applications of geoscientific research and the possibilities I will have with my degree in Chemistry from Rollins. Through my experience presenting at the EGU, I felt inspired, challenged, and in a way very at home. I enjoyed speaking with so many scientists of different ages, focuses, and backgrounds. I believe it exposed my mind to career paths and opportunities I had never even known had existed and for that I am so grateful for my summer research experience with GeoTenerife and INVOLCAN in the Canary Islands that allowed me to attend this impactful conference.

The 2018 American Chemical Society National Meeting in New Orleans

From March 18 to 21, 2018, I attended the American Chemical Society National Meeting in New Orleans. Although I already attended last year´s National Meeting in San Francisco, I was still impressed by the size of the conference with 13,000 attendees, 7,000 presentations, and 250 exhibitors. Being a student at a small liberal arts college with only a handful of students majoring in chemistry, it was truly inspiring to be surrounded by so many people that share the same interest and passion. I particularly enjoyed getting to know the people behind a research project who are usually only visible through their names on the author list of a journal article. Furthermore, attending talks about research on nanomaterials gave me new input and ideas for future research in graduate school.

The conference allowed me to meet with my collaborators which was the perfect opportunity to discuss my thesis as well as their current research progress with them. Apart from the conference, I had a great time reconnecting with students, post-docs, and professors from other institutions I worked with last summer. In my free time, I was able to do some sightseeing in New Orleans and learn more about the Creole culture. I was particularly fascinated by the French Quarter and its rich history. Overall, attending

Attending the 255^th ACS National Meeting in New Orleans gave me the opportunity to present my research to a broader chemistry audience. While I have already gained experience sharing my research with other people through several poster showcases, this represented my first time giving an oral presentation to a chemistry audience including well-known experts in the field of polymer chemistry.    As I spent a sufficient amount of time preparing for my presentation, I was not overly nervous and everything went well. I really enjoyed answering challenging question from the audience. In particular, I was able to help a person who was referred to me by my collaborator with questions he had asked at his talk earlier that day.

I really appreciated that the professor I worked for last summer attended my talk. He provided valuable feedback on my presentation skills and gave me helpful tips for graduate school. In my opinion, attending a conference of this size is the perfect opportunity to learn what makes a good presentation. Observing several poster and oral presentations helped me to identify the characteristics of a good presenter and successful presentation. In particular, I was fascinated by Prof. Jeremiah Johnson´s Nobel Laureate Signature Graduate Education Award address. He was able to display his authentic enthusiasm for his research and chemistry through his presentation style. I am confident that this experience helped me improve my presentation skills as well as communicate my research more efficiently.