Study Abroad in Argentina Opens New Horizons for Olmos

Coming from the small town of Scranton, Arkansas, and never having had the opportunity to travel abroad, University of the Ozarks senior Alexia Olmos took a giant leap of faith this past summer.

Olmos spent the months of June and July studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she took a class through the University of Buenos Aires.

It was quite an adventure for the small town girl, and one that opened new horizons for the psychology major.

"I have never had the chance to go abroad or travel alone, so being forced to go out on my own and meet new people really has really made me feel comfortable enough to go anywhere in the world," she said. "It made me also think that I would like to travel for work in my future and learn more about other cultures so I can better understand people in my future job. This experience really encouraged me to grow personally and professionally. It also taught me to value the opportunities I have as well as value the people that surround me and the lessons that they bring."

Olmos took a class called Intervention Strategies in Mental Health, which met daily from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. She would wake up each morning, have breakfast with her host family, and then take a 30-minute walk to class.

"This walk was always full of beautiful sights because I would have to walk through several parks as well as the town center," she said.

After class, her group would take the subway or walk to other parts of town to grab lunch.

"Our daily ritual also included having Gelato after lunch from a place called Rapanui," Olmos said. "After that, we would go sightseeing to museums, markets, parks, arcades, and many other things. Our host families would have dinner around 9 p.m. so we would go home for dinner and then gather again at night to watch the soccer games for Copa America."

Olmos took part in the study abroad through a program called the Institute For Study Abroad (IFSA).

"I originally heard about IFSA through my Ozarks seminar class my freshman year from Nicole England and Vanessa Hollowell," she said. "After that, it stuck with me over the past two years, so I decided to check it out and found that Argentina had an excellent psychology program, which really interested me."

Outside of class, Olmos had plenty of time to explore the city.

"I got to be on my own and go explore Argentina's amazing markets every weekend," she said. "This was a super unique way of getting to know the people and culture because the markets are super big there. I loved this because I met so many unique people and got to learn several history lessons and immerse myself in a culture unlike either of my cultures. I met people from all over the world and learned new trades or crafts."

She and her friends also enjoyed a long weekend that gave them a chance to explore another iconic South American city.

"Our girls' group from class took a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil," she said. "It was only a three-hour flight and super close geographically. Being able to go to one of the seven wonders of the world, Christ the Redeemer, was another one of those unreal once-in-a-lifetime experiences."

Watching the popular sport of soccer with classmates and Argentinians also stood out.

"My favorite moment was watching the Copa America finals," she said. "Soccer is obviously huge in Argentina and their fans are amazing. Our class of 16 gathered at a bar to watch Argentina and Colombia play. Although I was rooting for Colombia, the atmosphere that the fans brought and the unreal feeling of being in Argentina when Argentina won was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Then celebrating that with an amazing group of people was a top tier experience for sure."

Olmos said the experience has not only given her new-found confidence, but it has also reinforced her career plans.

"I think this experience will allow me to better help future patients in my field, since I hope to work in counseling," she said. "I think traveling helps you open your mind and better understand other perspectives. I learned a lot of interesting things about psychology from a culture quite different from my own. I would really love to be able to travel to other countries with less developed systems in psychology and work with people to get programs started, provide training, education, and resources that would benefit overall. I would also really love to work with children in counseling, so this would consist of me getting my master's degree, getting work experience, and hopefully opening my own practice within 10 years. I really find passion in being in a place where I can help people, and my goal is really to ultimately be fulfilled in my career "

Olmos credited the Niece Endowment Student Enrichment Fund for helping her take part in the study abroad experience.

"During the summer when I am not in school, I have to work full-time, so the student enrichment fund and its wonderful committee made this trip possible by giving me an opportunity that I otherwise may not have gotten to experience," Olmos said. "The financial support allowed me to pay for tuition and travel expenses, which allowed me to use my own money on experiences outside of my class and better immerse myself in the opportunities and cultures that surrounded me. Not only that, but several members of the enrichment committee made this possible by helping me navigate an area I was unfamiliar with."

Topics: Psychology, Student Stories, Study Abroad