Hello!

I am Larimar Vasquez Rios and I go to the SPC Gibbs campus. This is a picture of me on the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, where I studied abroad for two weeks. We visited some of the most beautiful places, my top three being the Wicklow Mountains, the Cliffs of Moher (A filming site for many movies, one of my favorites being Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and the Giant’s Causeway. But apart from these nature routed sites we also got to check out many of the cities and towns in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In the span of two weeks I got to explore Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Cobh, Belfast, and Londonderry. My group and I got to go on lots of walking tours, see a good deal of museums, and do heaps of culturally enriched activities. I got to see a live band less than two feet away (for me this is a big deal since I am a band and orchestra geek), I got taught how to Irish step dance by professional Irish dancers, and even took part in live karaoke. Because of this expedition, I did loads of things out of my comfort zone and felt amazing afterward. I would change absolutely nothing about this trip and If I could redo it over I would. The food was also lovely, every day I was eating five-star meals. On this journey I got to bond with my classmates and professor, I will never forget the amazing times we had.

That is why I am especially grateful for the scholarship that I received, making this all possible. If ever given the chance to study abroad my advice is to take it! And even though pictures are great, nothing compares to what it’s like hearing, touching, smelling, and seeing these places in person. I will definitely be doing another course abroad, wherever the next place may be, I am already so excited because Ireland set the bar high. An unforgettable experience that I will carry close to my heart forever, thank you to everyone who made this dream a reality.
– Larimar, SPC Ireland Study Abroad Program, May 2024