Interamerican University Studies Institute

The Interamerican University Studies Institute (IUSI) gives students the opportunity to gain academic credit through a cultural exchange via study abroad programs in Latin America. Founded 25 years ago by Robert Jackson, together he and program coordinator Jennifer Jewett have created an amazing program that enhances all of those who participate in it. Though it sounds dramatic, I can easily say this: being a part of IUSI has provided me one of the most rewarding and enlightening experiences of my life.
It was never really my plan to study abroad, though it was a fascination of mine for the longest time. Given my background in growing up in a hispanic neighborhood, while having plenty of hispanic friends, and having taken years of Spanish classes, I didn’t really see the need to visit a country like Mexico. Later did I realize that my learning experiences in Mexico far exceeded anything I learned in a classroom or in the United States.
IUSI did an excellent job of easing any concerns all of the students had during the application process. They gave us several weeks of preparation, with plenty of documents to learn and study from before we got into the country and handled all of the arrangements except for our plane ticket. Regardless, this came as good news to many of us, a lot of whom were first timers in international travel.
The instant I landed in Mexico City (DF) I was already feeling the cultural immersion and out of nowhere Spanish I hadn’t even spoken with my Mexican friends at home just began sputtering out. While I eventually settled into Querétaro before traveling to other parts of the country, I knew this journey would be one that would be life changing.
Living with a host family was crucial to my development within the program. It was literally a backdoor to the culture that no tourist would ever see. I established lifelong friendships and bonds with people who spoke no English and was accepting of my background so as long as I was of theirs. It shattered all stereotypes I ever had about Mexicans and opened my eyes to the diversity that existed in a country that was so largely misunderstood by people back home.
My time there was too short and though this experience was years ago it still remains fresh in my mind. I learned key family values, adapted to a new environment, gained a new cultural perspective, became more adept in Latin American history, and changed the way I approach foreign relations and people. Learning and speaking the Spanish language was merely a bonus on top of all of these things.
The day I stepped foot into Mexico marked a turning point in my life, a transformation that would lead me to become an advocate for all folks to experience life in another country. I wish most schools had the money to make studying abroad a requirement, it is a guaranteed life changer, one that almost always turns out better.
IUSI has enhanced my life in so many ways, I can’t thank them enough for giving me an opportunity to experience the new pleasures that exist in other environments. All folks who are on the fence on studying abroad should stop hesitating and just do it. It’s never too late to try something new and if Latin America is your destination of choice, consider IUSI to be your guide.