My name is Elena Minolfo and I’m a sophomore studying International Business and Spanish. I am currently studying abroad on a faculty-led study abroad program in Santiago, Chile and taking classes at the University of Santiago de Chile.

I chose this program because I liked the fact that I didn’t have to worry about transferring credits from another institution since the classes I’m enrolled in are considered College of Charleston classes. I chose Chile specifically because I heard such good things about the Chile program and because I have a passion for the spanish language.

My primary goal while abroad is to improve my spanish speaking and comprehension to the point where I don’t have to think about what I want to say and that I don’t feel shy about speaking spanish. I also want to learn more about Santiago and the surrounding cities through travelling and meeting new people.

I’ve done research about the language in Chile and all of the ways the chileans speak different spanish from other spanish speaking countries. I’ve also done research on the history of the country and how it came to be.