A summer in Spain is like no other. Ask any one of the 36 students who spent five weeks this summer in one of Europe’s most vibrant cities: Madrid, Spain.

Over the course of the Madrid Summer Session at Syracuse University Madrid, students explored the streets of captivating cities, engaged with local communities and built a long-lasting connection with Spain that spans beyond the classroom.

Out of the Classroom, Into the Culture

The session began with the program orientation and welcome session at the center, led by center director Dieter Kuehl. The cohort then launched into their program with a visit to Toledo, Spain, for a trip filled with culture, history and exquisite cuisine.

Rolling up their sleeves, the group of students participated in a cooking workshop, discovering the flavors and traditions of Spanish food firsthand while cooking traditional Spanish dishes, including tortilla de patatas, a Spanish tortilla. Students also visited the Toledo Cathedral, witnessing centuries of art and history through their own eyes.

Visiting the Spanish Senate was another highlight of the session in Madrid. The cohort visited the Senado and received a behind-the-scenes look at the Senate’s role in the legislative process, how sessions are conducted and the inner workings of the chamber that shapes national policies. Students were able to visit the hemicycle, explore the art collection housed at the Palacio del Senado and gained a deeper understanding of Spain’s political infrastructure and democratic institutions.

From Lecture Halls to Local Businesses

While in Madrid, students enrolled in a range of courses including Mediterranean Environment and Ecosystems, Arts of Spain: Paintings, Architectures, Cities, Spain, Past and Present, Cross-Cultural Psychology, and Spanish courses including Media, Film and Pop Culture and Living in Madrid: Life in the Neighborhoods.

Seven students also participated in three-credit internships in a variety of fields including business, marketing, communications and education. These internships, designed to develop intercultural skills, communications practices and adaptability, provide students with an in-depth look into the workplace culture and professional dynamics of their host country.

Some of this summer’s internship locations in Madrid included:

• Ayúdame3D, where a student worked on the communications team for the 3D prosthetics printing company
• ShowMeTheProject, where a student interned at the architecture company drawing illustrations that will be turned into advertisements through AI
• REIN Studio, where a student worked with an artist leading a creative photography project in Madrid
• Fundación Bocatas, where a student learned how international immigration patterns and displacement shape the daily realities of immigrant communities at the local level

Learn more about Ayúdame3D in this internship video created by Sofi Traversari ’27.

Lessons Above and Below the Surface

Emma Anderson ’27, a biology and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences, participated in the Marine Environment and Ecosystems course trip to Cabo de Palos and Mar Menor in Cartagena. This course, offered during the semester and over the summer, studies marine ecosystems and the physiology, behavior and ecology of marine and coastal organisms.

On the first day of the trip, students visited the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology, hiked and saw the Teatro Romano de Cartagena. At the museum, they learned about ancient artifacts found underwater, including one of the oldest known shipwrecks in the Mediterranean sailed by the Phoenicians. On the second day, and the highlight of the trip, students went snorkeling and swam with species they learned about in class including sea tomatoes, anemones and sea urchins.

“This trip was an amazing experience,” Anderson says, “because we were able to connect our classroom lectures to real-world observations to understand the importance of protecting the Mediterranean.”

On the third day, the cohort took a boat trip to see the marine reserve and learn about ecosystem protections in place in the region. The trip concluded with scuba diving, paddle boarding and more hiking, a hands-on way to directly interact with the local marine species and wildlife.

Five weeks, multiple cities and countless memories. From cooking in Toledo to snorkeling in the Mediterranean, these students truly embraced Spanish life and culture and returned home with broader perspectives and a piece of Madrid that will stay with them forever.