By Lily Leman, USAC Santiago
I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Santiago, Chile during the Fall 2024 semester through University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC). It was transformative both within my professional and personal life.
Professionally, I was able to improve my proficiency in Spanish through the immersive structure and by conducting research. Personally, I learned how to be more independent and self-confident. Deciding to go abroad at 19 years old was daunting for both me and my family. However, USAC made the process seamless and kept me well-informed from the time I departed and until I returned.
My experience was so enriching because not only did I feel supported in my classes, but it was where I learned to thrive academically. This experience set me apart in so many ways. I come from a family of educators, so when there was an opportunity to be a volunteer co-English teacher, I immediately took it. I can put that experience on my resume for public service fellowships, scholarship applications, and future academic endeavors.
Additionally, due to the outstanding professors and manageable coursework, I was able to conduct a research project that I am currently working on at my home university, University of Wyoming. This project has been monumental in shaping my desired career as well as my academic journey when I returned home.
Views of Santiago
While in Santiago, I took a Native Cultures and Languages of Chile class. I was also enrolled in a nine-credit Spanish language track that offered us the chance to conduct research on a topic of our choice. Using the curriculum from both classes, I decided to do my research on the Mapuche — Chile’s largest indigenous group, comprised of 1.3 million people.
More specifically, I investigated the way Mapuche rights and visibility have expanded and contracted with increased nationalism. Augusto Pinochet, Chile’s former president, created a state-sponsored campaign, Campaña de Chilenización, to impose Chilean cultural and national identity onto the Peruvian population living in occupied provinces.
I explored aspects of the Chilenidad (Chilean national identity) in relation to the underrepresentation of the Mapuche group. This movement promoted cultural erasure as a means to uphold a homogenous Chilean state. I then compared this representation to those of the indigenous groups in my home state of Wyoming.
I was able to conduct interviews with those of Mapuche descent and those who were more in support of a consolidated identity and negation of Chile as a plurinational state.
This research was so important to me that I received a grant last October to go back to Chile and finish up my research. This grant covered my flight and accommodation, which was incredibly helpful. In January, I was able to go to various archives across Chile, such as Archivo Regional de La Araucanía, to gather more information.
My findings are getting attention. I received an invitation to the Indigenous Language Revitalization and Ethnohistory roundtable discussion in my department. This coming April, I will be presenting at the Western Regional Honors Council Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This international research opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without my semester abroad experience.
I would advise anyone looking into studying abroad to choose a host country or institution that could provide further insight into a project you are currently working on at your home university or a culture you are interested in learning more about.
Many times, studying abroad can catapult you into future opportunities and inspire you to explore avenues you might have never considered. Studying abroad can be the biggest tool in preparing you for future success both as an individual and as a student preparing to graduate.
Lily is a senior at the University of Wyoming pursing her degree in History and Spanish with a concentration in linguistics. She is currently a semi-finalist for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant in Taiwan and hopes to go to law school to practice public interest law in the future. In her spare time, she loves hiking, Zumba, and karaoke with her roommates!
Explore your options
- Santiago, Chile
- Academic areas:
Business, Management, and Marketing
Communications, Media, and Journalism
Culture, Identity, and Society
Fine Arts, Music, and Film
World Language Skills
Health Sciences, Psychology, and Public Health
History, Politics, and Law
