¡Hola a todos! My name is Nate Long, and I’m a senior Spanish and Political Science Honors major. I am back on campus after spending last spring in Alicante, Spain. Spending a semester in Spain was absolutely incredible. My host family was truly amazing and made me feel like a member of the family immediately. My host mom took me out for churros con chocolate and would invite me to have breakfast with her friends. My host dad would watch Barcelona games with me and would answer any question I had about how to get somewhere in the city or where the nearest bus stop was! I cannot wait for the day when I get to go back and visit them again! I also had the opportunity to spend one week doing El Camino de Santiago (“The Way of St. James”), a historic pilgrimage across the northern part of Spain that has been traveled for centuries. It was an unforgettable experience to carry all of my possessions in a backpack for one week and to make the journey with a group of my best friends.
After graduating in the Spring, I hope to find a job either working on a political campaign or for an elected official and that I can continue to apply my Spanish knowledge to my future career. Double majoring at Gustavus has allowed me to explore connections between politics and different Spanish speaking countries. My current research project for my Political Science senior thesis covers public perception of Mexican immigrants, historical approaches to addressing immigration, and the effects these policies have had on Mexican immigrant identity.
I love talking about studying abroad or studying Spanish, so if you have questions about the major or my experiences in Spain I would love to talk with you!
¡Hasta pronto!
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