studying abroad: the application process

The application process for study abroad started last fall for me, when I decided for sure that I wanted to spend a semester at St. Andrews. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a Spanish double major and knew that I would have to study abroad for that–it has always been something that I looked forward to.  After my freshman year at Erskine, my favorite Spanish professor (Dr. Granados) took a yearlong sabbatical and I decided to double minor in family studies and Spanish instead.  However, I still wanted to go abroad and decided that St. Andrews would be a great place to go.  The University is currently celebrating its 600th anniversary–what better time to go and be a part of its history?

To begin the process, I talked with Dr. Gorka (our study abroad coordinator) and started filling out Erskine’s application in early February.  I also asked two of my favorite professors–Dr. Elsner [psychology] and Dr. Evans [Bible & Religion]–to write my letters of recommendation.  I submitted my completed study abroad application and student agreement in late February and heard back in mid-March from Dr. Christie that Erskine’s committee had accepted me.

Dr. Elsner also wrote my letter of recommendation for my St. Andrews application, and the Academic Office helped me send an official transcript.  I submitted that application on October 9 (the deadline for Spring applicants is October 31) and received my offer of acceptance on October 18.  If I remember correctly, I squealed and started dancing around my dorm room in my pajamas when I read the email and there may have been a few tears.  I am not ashamed.

I accepted my offer almost immediately and submitted my accommodations application that same week.  Coincidentally, I received an email from Delta around that time advertising a sale on airfare to Europe.  Within a week, I booked my flights for an amazing price.  I applied for and received my passport in August, so I did not have to worry about taking care of that while I was at school.

Since then I have been spending a lot of time looking through the course offerings at St. Andrews.  The British system of credits and classes is quite different from the American and several times I have found myself Google searching phrases or words to figure out what they mean.  There are several “honours-level” psychology classes, unlike any we offer at Erskine, which I am interested in taking.  Alternatively, I found an introductory level Divinity class, a Social Anthropology class, and a Scottish Music class, all of which look quite interesting if I need another course.

I have also set up my St. Andrews email account, which they do through Gmail. It’s a great set-up!  The University also has a webpage with a list of steps to be completed by applicants and another for incoming students, both of which I have found to be quite helpful. (If you are interested, here is the link: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/studyabroad/incomingstudents/internationalstudyabroadprogramme/.  The offer & entrant information link is on the left side.)

Moving through this process, I have realized that there are so many details to consider and take care of.  Fortunately, both Erskine and St. Andrews staff have been extremely helpful the entire time.  I have talked to Erskine’s financial aid and business offices several times each, and I always come away with all of my questions answered thoroughly and offers to help more should I need it.  I have had the same experience with St. Andrews: every person I have emailed has responded in a friendly and timely manner and I always find the answers I am looking for.

Today is the first day of January term classes at Erskine.  Although I am homesick for my college home and family, I realized this morning that I leave 2 weeks from tomorrow.  The closer my trip gets, the more excited I am!  I cannot wait to begin this exciting journey.

[Update: I do not have my housing situation resolved yet, but  I hope to hear from St. Andrews this week.]

Introduction

Hello!

I’ve never done a blog before, but here I am!  I hope that I will improve with time, because right now I am hopelessly lost in trying to figure out how this website works.  Obviously, I’m not very tech-savvy.

I do enjoy writing, though, and I hope that you will find some of what I have to say interesting.  I am getting closer to embarking on the most exciting journey of my life thus far, which begins January 22, 2013.  I will be spending Spring semester at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. I am so excited, despite having to say goodbye to the wonderful friends at Erskine that God has blessed me with.

So that you can get an idea of who I am, let me introduce myself:

My name is Christine Dumouchel and my hometown is Charleston, SC. I am a junior at Erskine and pursuing an honors major in psychology with a double minor in Spanish and family studies. (No, I’m not an over-achiever or anything.)  I’m interested in the connection between spiritual health and mental health; I also see great potential in alternative/arts therapies (art, music, dance/movement, writing, mindfulness meditation, yoga, etc.).  After undergrad, I plan to apply to both Master’s and PhD programs in therapy/counseling and clinical psychology.

I love singing, dancing, acting, and performing in general. I also enjoy reading and writing: books are my best friend.  I am quite active on Erskine’s campus: I am an SLA (Student Life Assistant) in Carnegie Hall, the residence hall for freshmen women, and I lead SI (Supplemental Instruction) for one of the sections of General Psychology.

4 of the 5 Carnegie SLAs (Tiffany, Leighton, Me, Heather) and a former Carnegie SLA (also Heather)

I sing with the Choraleers and Chamber Choir and also take private voice lessons.  This fall I played Elaine Harper in the fall play, Arsenic and Old Lace;  joined Erskine’s new improvisation group, ImproVfessional; and [successfully] rushed Erskine’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, a national theater honor society.  I am a member of Alpha Chi (a national academic honor society) and Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership honor society).  I serve as the secretary of the Erskine Society of Psychology, which is in the process of forming a local Psi Chi chapter.  I enjoy working with Dr. Norman (Erskine’s president) and his wife as much as I can, and one of my favorite evening activities is babysitting their 3 wonderful boys-Noah, Asher, and Ezra.

Faith is one of the most important parts of my life.  I am Catholic but never feel out of place at Erskine despite its affiliation with the ARP church.  I am abundantly blessed by God’s grace and mercy, and I thank Him for that every day.  One of my favorite things about Erskine is seeing the way that He works in and through my friends, classmates, professors, and everyone that works to make Erskine the great place that it is.

It was difficult to have to say goodbye during exams, knowing that I will not be back at Erskine in the spring.  However, my friends and I made the most of the time; some of them even had a few surprises for me!   I look forward to challenging myself and learning all that I can while I study abroad.  Over the next several weeks, I will be posting about the study abroad application process, reflecting on my semester, and sharing about my preparation to cross the pond.

Happy Advent, and may God bless and keep you!

my friends threw me a surprise going-away party last Friday. I’ve never had a surprise party before and it was wonderful!

Great Conversation: A Gem of Erskine Life

I may have mentioned this before, but at the risk of repeating myself, I’ve just got to say that of all the things I’ve loved about being at Erskine, the community has been one of the most wonderful. Certainly, anywhere you go, it takes time and intentionality to form meaningful, deep, mutually-reciprocal relationships. (I had to remind myself of this during first-semester freshman year when, despite the great people around me, I worried that I wouldn’t ever have close friends in college.)

That being said, the great thing about college—especially about a school the size of Erskine—is that you very quickly form close bonds with fellow students as you live, eat, and study together on a daily basis. Now, by junior year, it’s impossible for me to count the number of times I’ve just chuckled to myself and thought, wow, this is fun. Studying diligently and growing intellectually are a huge part of college life. But in those moments between hours of studying, conversations begin that are fun and reinvigorating. In a landscape of challenging and often exhausting academic efforts, such exchanges are gems sparkling along the path of daily diligence. Maybe a friendly debate begins at lunch on a topic everyone feels strongly about but on which there are a variety of positions. The wonderful thing about being at a school Erskine’s size is that, almost anywhere you go, you’ll know people and have something to talk about.

Erskine students in “conversation” last night during the hilarious theatre production “A Night at the Asylum”

You might come across friends studying and ask a question about the book you’re reading, engendering animated an animated discussion of everything from politics to religion—topics you’re not supposed to mention at the dinner table, remember?—that lasts almost two hours until you look at your watch and discover it’s almost 2 a.m. The heart-to-heart conversations with girlfriends late at night in the dorm (I’m afraid I can’t speak for the guys, but I’m sure they have similar exchanges) are always fun as well. Wherever and whenever they take place, whether deep and serious or joking banter punctuated by laughter, conversations with friends are always refreshing or invigorating in some way. Indeed, such exchanges often galvanize me to think and study more deeply out of a desire to better learn why I have an opinion or hold a particular conviction with which a friend disagrees. Then there are just those times when my sides ache from laughing and I discover that, interestingly enough, sleep deprivation can act as an extremely effective substitute for laughing gas. Oh, laughter is good for the heart…as is meaningful conversation for the mind and soul.

A Fun Night of Music

Well, it’s that time of the semester again. Walk up to just about any Erskine student these days, and they’ll tell you, “This week I have two papers to turn in, three projects due, two tests, and a quiz.” Oh, yes, and then finals. During the rush of these last few weeks before summer, these words of Aristotle’s become particularly apt: “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

Christine singing Sondheim's witty piece "Lovely"

Heather singing "I Remember Sky"--this girl has an incredibly rich, full voice. Gorgeous!

In addition to approaching deadlines, innumerable concerts, events, and theater productions are taking place on the Erskine campus about this time. Balancing the academic and the social, thus, becomes quite the challenge, but I was extremely glad this past Thursday that a friend persuaded me to go to a recital put on by Erskine’s voice studios. I had vast amounts of homework waiting to be done, but I nevertheless took a break long enough to head over to the auditorium for “An Evening with Sondheim”—and I’m so glad I did!

Everyone on the program did a fabulous job, and the repertoire ranged from the stirring strains of “Johanna” and “Not While I’m Around” to more humorous selections like “Lovely” and “Children Will Listen.” It was a lot of fun to hear some extremely talented freshman sing solos for the first time. Christian and Heather sounded especially amazing, but I sadly don’t have any videos of their performances because I was too mesmerized by their singing to have the presence of mind to record it. Will—another freshman, to whom I happen to be related—gave an entertaining rendition of “Giants in the Sky,” acting as Jack from Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods. All in all, it was a fun and delightful evening and worth giving up some precious study time. But now, back to the books!

The cast taking a bow at the end of the show.

Choraleers On the Move

A couple of weekends ago I went on my first Choraleers mini-tour since my return from Spain. I wasn’t exactly sure how the trip would be, since I’m still getting to know the freshmen in the group (who are wonderful, by the way) and was, *cough*, less than certain of all my notes. On Saturday afternoon, we embarked on our drive to August, Georgia, where we rehearsed at a couple of different churches and were treated to dinner by one of the host churches.

Next, we were assigned our roommates and families for our home-stays—one of the best parts of Choraleers mini-tours. Every home-stay has been different for me, and I’ve actually ended up in a couple of mansions (no, I’m not kidding—if ten girls all have their own bedrooms,  the home qualifies as a mansion) during past trips. Whatever the size of the house, though, it’s always fun to get to know different people from the congregations of the churches where we’re singing. During this most recent trip, I had the pleasure of staying with an Erskine alumna and her sweet family. We enjoyed talking about all kinds of topics over a plate of delicious cookies, but when we landed on the subject of Erskine—which involved our friend’s reminiscences about her time as a Choraleer—we just couldn’t stop talking. We had such fun–even getting to flip through old Erskine yearbooks together– that it was quite late before my fellow Choraleer and I finally realized that we’d better head to bed if we were going to be ready for our early morning performance! Despite our less-than-optimal amount of sleep, our Sunday performances—two in the morning and one in the evening—went well, and the trip in general was great fun.

Being in Choraleers has been one of my absolute favorite parts of my experience at Erskine. Honestly, I didn’t realized how much I’d missed singing with the amazing group that makes up the “Choraleer family” until I came back from Spain and felt a though a vital part of my life that had been missing was suddenly restored. What a joy it is to sing—especially once you know the notes—and what a blessing it is to be able to sing to God’s glory with good friends! We also have an amazing new director this semester, Dr. Nabholz. It’s been a lot of fun learning his directing style and seeing the musical effects of the techniques he’s teaching us.

Friends and I on Choraleers tour at Universal Studios (not where we performed...but a lot of fun) in Orlando my freshman year.

Speaking of which, I was incredibly excited recently when, in preparation for our Spring Break tour to Washington, D.C., Dr. Nabholz had us split up into mixed formation during rehearsal. This mixing of the sections resulted in my being flanked by a tenor and a bass, with a soprano directly behind me. Wow, was it amazing to hear the way all the parts meld together! It’s one thing to be in one’s own section, with a somewhat foggy idea of what each other part sounds like—but to hear the subtle contours of each other musical line? That transforms a “piece” into true music. Of course, I may, *cough*, have noted—no pun intended—that I perhaps don’t know all my notes as well as I ought. Gone is the wiggle room of being able to listen the person next to you when you’re no longer in sections. Which means someone will be frequenting the practice rooms quite a bit between now and our departure for tour. D.C., here we come!

A Well-Rounded Workout

During my senior year of high school, I ceased—for the first time since elementary school—to play team sports, and as a result, I essentially went an entire year without exercising. Upon arriving at college, however, I quickly discovered (epiphany!) that exercise was an essential for a balanced, healthy life. Having two gym facilities within five minutes’ walking distance has been the clincher, and I’ve gone to the gym regularly ever since.

Certainly, one might make the argument that college life simply does not allow time for exercise. What I’ve found, though, is that a few hours a week in the gym serve as an invaluable stress reliever which both relaxes and invigorates me, enabling me to study more effectively and efficiently when I do sit down to work. Of late, the gym has offered a couple of other unique attractions—one has been helpful instruction on workout routines, and the other, the opportunity to practice Spanish.

You see, when I go to the Galloway gym across campus, I often run into friends who are athletic training majors. This turns out to be of great benefit to me, because they often stop what they’re doing to show me how to do a particular workout more effectively. Often, they even go into a detailed explanation of the physiological bases for their advice, which proves quite instructive and fascinating.

My time in the gym has also been especially interesting lately due, in large part, to my time in Spain last semester. The reason for this is that many of Erskine’s athletes are from Spanish-speaking countries, and so I often run into them at the gym. While before studying abroad, I might have ventured a timid hola, my experience overseas has given me both more courage in speaking and a greater ability to identify with students studying outside of their native countries. As a result, I’ve lately gotten to have a number of conversations in the gym with friends from Puerto Rico, Spain, and Peru. Thus, I’m able to get both a physical and intellectual workout all at once. And now, off to the gym!

Liberal Arts Learning and Fellowship Fun

Laughter: the best medicine

It’s hard to believe that the first week of classes is over! Sometimes I’m absolutely bewildered when I think back on all that one can learn, enjoy, and do in just one short six-day span. I’m also happy to report that I’m loving my classes thus far and am excited about the subjects I’m studying. These include Literary Criticism, Spanish, Politics, and various other English classes—what fun! This morning, for example, I watched two of my favorite professors give a joint lecture in a class titled “Music and Politics”. An experimental interdisciplinary course, the class is predicated on the idea that all knowledge is interconnected and that, thus, there is much to be learned through study which brings together different disciplines rather than relegating them to separate, ironclad caskets in the treasure vault of understanding. Today we discussed the view held by various ancients—from Aristotle to St. Augustine—that music has an inherent moral dimension to it. It was quite fascinating to ponder the idea that different types of music, even apart from any lyrics, might in some way either help establish order or, conversely, destabilize a society. Might various musical styles carry inherent implications that make it difficult for one or the other to be used as a medium for a certain type of message? According to Plato, certain rhythms “are the expressions of a courageous and harmonious life”. Fascinating thought that.  I will, however, forgo taking Aristotle’s advice on one score—I in no way feel persuaded that I ought to inform my lovely flautist friends that, as aforementioned venerable Grecian declares, “the flute is not a moral instrument”. Ancient philosopher or not, we don’t have to agree on every point, eh? Another aspect of the week that has been incredibly fun has been the way in which rigorous study has been interspersed with wonderful conversations with fabulous people. I love the academic life (perhaps too much…I promise, parents, I shan’t be a starving scholar forever!), and combining that love with great community makes for an amazing blessing. Should one even be allowed to have so many delightful friends in one place? At any rate, I’m thankful that, though college life is certainly stressful at times, I’m able to learn and grow at a place like Erskine.

Back at Erskine

Enjoying a meal at a local "Mom and Pop" restaurant in the great metropolis of Belton shortly after my return.

It’s been rather a while since I wrote last, probably because I’ve been busy transitioning from “Spain life” back into  life at Erskine—a transition that has kept my time happily filled with catch-up coffee dates, time spent getting to know freshmen I only briefly met during fall orientation, and moving back into the dorm. There certainly are things about moving back to Erskine after having been abroad that are disorienting. (For one thing, I’m “the new kid” in some ways, while the freshmen now have a semester of Erskine history under their belt for which I was absent.) Overall, though, it’s been incredibly fun to jump back into the swing of things here in good ol’ Due West. And although lots of amazing conversations and times with friends have been had since I got back, one particular incident from this evening is what I’d like to share at the moment.

You see, as much as I loved Spain and wouldn’t trade the experiences I had there for the world, I also greatly missed Erskine, in large part because the community God has blessed me with here is so very special. Honestly, it took being away from Erskine for me to realize how truly amazing it is. Not because it’s a perfect school, nor because I’m always 100% happy every day here (I mean, we live in a fallen world), but because being far from home has shown me what an incredible blessing it is to be surrounded by so many encouraging friends who are all came to Erskine for the same reasons I did. Now, don’t get me wrong—there is quite a lot of ideological diversity on Erskine’s campus; and that’s a good thing! There’s a great contrast, however, between finding a handful of Christian friends in Spain and, at Erskine, being surrounded by a vast number of like-minded friends who challenge me, encourage me, and support me.

One fun January outing was an evening at the home of Erskine's Admissions Operations Coordinator (who also happens to be a fabulous cook and hostess)...

This evening, for example, I was wrestling inwardly with a bit of an existential crisis regarding my future calling (a crisis I would imagine not a few college students have experienced right around this time in their educational career).  I’ve always thought this was the vocation God was calling me to, but now I don’t even know…and maybe this isn’t what I’m meant to do for reasons x, y, z…but if it’s not, then what IS He calling me to? Etc., etc. Like a badly authored bit of stream of consciousness writing, these thoughts were racing through my head as I walked into my dorm a few hours ago to find an unsuspecting friend on sitting at the desk on lobby duty. Since I’m usually terrible at keeping whatever thoughts are consuming me bottled up, some of the aforementioned stream of incoherent thoughts and questions began to spill out.

Under Amanda's tutelage, we cooked a delicious meal together. Here are Rachel and Rebekah cutting up the potatoes.

So what did my friend—who happens to be a kind and insightful psychology major—do? She had me sit down and talk through my life plans and goals with her. And of course, since I’m at Erskine, I can already predict that this was one in a long series of conversations which I’ll doubtless have with various friends as I process and they advise, direct, and ask helpful questions. The simple fact that there are a large number of wise, well-adjusted, and caring individuals who will all listen as I babble and give me solid, Biblical advice in response is just a mind-boggling blessing. Living on a campus surrounded by friends who challenge, encourage, and care for me every day is such a delight. College is indeed a unique season of life. And like any other part of life, college is also largely what one makes of it. Erskine just happens to be an especially wonderful place in which to do that. “We always thank God for all of you…We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

The scrumptious dinner we made. And there isn't even a picture of the coffee-cake pound-cake we made for dessert. Yum.

Just One Reason Erskine is Special…

In the nearby village of Elche, Spain...in a bookstore. You can always spot a humanities major.

If you’re either around college-age or have a student who’s beginning to look at schools, you’ve probably spent at least some time researching and visiting different universities, weighing the respective pros and cons of the institutions that interest you. One factor which I know I took into account when I was looking at schools is the difference in the number of resources found at a large university as opposed to a smaller one. I worried that, were I to go to a small college, I would be missing out if I didn’t have access to everything made available by a large university. Certainly, such a wealth of resources—primarily in the form of enormous libraries—is an extremely valuable asset. What I’ve found since coming to Erskine, however, is that, thanks to incredible librarians and a well-oiled interlibrary loan system, I never have trouble obtaining exactly the resources I need, no matter how specific or obscure the topic I’m researching.

Today, I saw a bit of the flip-side of the research process that I’ve become familiar with at Erskine when I made my first foray into the world of researching at a large university. Before I comment on this experience, I should note that I don’t mean in any way to disparage the University of Alicante by doing so—I am greatly enjoying my classes at the university, and all of my experiences and professors thus far have been excellent! It’s just that, my time in the library this morning helped me see that “the grass is always greener” is an adage because we often don’t fully appreciate the good things we have. You see, when I walked into the huge, multi-level library and saw the shelves upon shelves of books, I was enchanted. Had I gone to a huge school, such copious amounts of resources might have been at my fingertips as well. (Of course, such resources are at my fingertips within three to five days of requesting them from WorldCat…but the green monster is rare
ly logical.) I then commenced searching for books on the topics on which I plan to write my final essays. And gracious, I couldn’t seem to find anything. This was probably at least partly due to my unfamiliarity with the system of book cataloguing used in Spain (which, like measurements, temperature, and classroom numbers, is completely different from that used in the US). Nevertheless, I was quite disheartened to discover that the books I needed were scattered all throughout the vast library building and that some apparently weren’t even in the same building where I was seated. Sigh.

Inside the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid

So I did what I usually do when I’m confused (which, of course, happens only *cough* very rarely): I asked for help. Walking up to one of the librarians, I was met with what can only be described as something of a grimace. She explained—in rapid Spanish—where I could find the list of books I’d compiled and seemed quite annoyed when asked for further clarification on where the basement and the Law Library were. Later, after I finally wandered back to the front desk on that particular floor, I asked the other librarian on duty if I could check my books out then. Only, as I quailed a bit under his scowl, my Spanish vocabulary seemed to vaporize, and I stumbled over my words a bit before being told, rather gruffly, that I could check books out on the first floor. All that to say, the librarians were reasonably cordial, if not friendly, and answered my questions. But as I walked out of the library thinking that I would prefer to just do my research online, I couldn’t hel
p but think how spoiled I am to walk into McCain Library in Due West and to unfailingly be given swift, one-on-one assistance by one of Erskine’s well-versed keepers-of-the-books (surely “librarian” is too mundane a name for such an important job?). I’m not sure that the contrast between that possibility of “being a number” at a large university and the personal, close-knit-community feel I’ve come to enjoy at Erskine have ever seemed quite so stark to me. That’s not in any way to say that one can’t thrive in either a small-school or large-school setting or that each type of school doesn’t have its charms… I just happen to really appreciate my Erskine family and am thankful that God has placed me in it!

View of the beach beside my house in Alicante

In the end, when I arrived back at my piso (apartment) and attempted to use the online Erskine journal database, I discovered to my consternation that I couldn’t seem to log onto the website. Of course, considering that there are a number of US websites that are not accessible from overseas, I wasn’t particularly surprised, but I figured I would email one of the librarians at Erskine to ask about my difficulty. I also mentioned, in my query, the topics I was attempting to research. And what do you think I found in my inbox only hours later? The news that the aforementioned librarian had entered my student ID into the system and that I should now have access to Erskine’s databases AND (get this), a flood of academic articles on the topics I had mentioned in passing. Wow. All the way from Spain, I felt so blessed. And now, I’ve got some reading to do.

The Adventure Abroad Begins…

I don’t think I’ve ever been at such a loss for words when approaching a blog post. “Why the difficulty?” you may ask. Well, you see, it’s not because I can’t think of anything to say. Indeed, my happy conundrum is this: I’m in Spain, and I’m having so many incredible experiences and am learning so many amazing things that I don’t even know where to begin!

I suppose, however, that the response of bemused procrastination in which I’ve indulged during the ten days since my arrival in the colorful, beautiful country of España isn’t going to help me feel less overwhelmed about sharing all that I’m seeing and learning. Thus, I begin…

Although I was excited about the prospect of being “immersed” in Spanish, I simply could not have imagined, before I arrived, what it would really be like to be live in another country. Furthermore, as wonderful a job as my program directors did of orienting me during my first few days in Alicante, I was nevertheless a bit overwhelmed upon first arriving. Learning how to navigate a big city (quite a feat for someone who regularly gets lost in the environs of Due West), how to communicate in another language, and getting to know the family with whom I’m living, in addition to simply dealing with that phenomenon so lovingly called “culture shock”…all of this has been both exciting and challenging!

A view of the city taken near my house

Now, however, only a week and two days after moving in with my wonderful “madre española”, Spain is beginning to feel like home. Each day, I spend four hours in Spanish classes with a fascinating group of classmates from all over the world and under the teaching of fabulous professors at the Universidad de Alicante. During my daily bus ride to class, I’m able to have riveting conversations with people from Spain, Russia, Japan, and numerous other countries in our common language, Spanish (what fun to work on my language skills while making new friends from myriad different countries!).

Later in the afternoon, I return to my house to eat a delicious comida (the huge midday meal here in Spain) prepared by Puri, my lovely host mother. Typically, I then do homework and spend time on the beach—activities which are interspersed with travel and various cultural experiences. Hm…methinks this is a life I could get used to. Of course, I’m not considering transferring—I love Erskine too much! I am, however, thankful to be having this unique, horizon-broadening experience as part of my Erskine education. ¡Qué increíble!