Kelly Cerenetich

Kelly Cernetich spent 5 weeks studying Spanish language and culture in Sevilla, Spain. During the day she attended classes, and in the evening her host mother Marisa would show her how to cook traditional Spanish food in exchange for translating Marisa’s favorite American songs; her favorite was “Killing Me Softly.” Despite the fact that Kelly had classes in Spanish four hours a day during the week, with native Spaniards, being forced to speak the language at home for the rest of the day had the most positive effect on her speaking skills. While in Spain, union strikes across the country, along with the flotilla hijacking in Israel, allowed Kelly to witness numerous political demonstrations in Sevilla. With a little background information from her host mother and professors, Kelly was able to develop a new appreciation for the level of political awareness and activism in her host country.