“Ever since I was little, I have wanted to go to Spain,” says Ashley Land '16, a media studies major studying in Salamanca, Spain, through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) program. A Spanish student for many years, Land believes the best way to improve her speaking skills is complete cultural and language immersion. From eating homemade paella to taking flamenco dance lessons to exploring Spanish cathedrals and European cities, Land has achieved just that (and is blogging about it). There are downsides, such as not taking any media studies classes and missing her hip-hop dance team. Nevertheless, “Being away has made me appreciate Pomona a lot more. Having new experiences--socially, academically, and personally--has probably been the highlight of my study abroad experience, especially as a low-income, first-generation student.”