Stephanie Saunders
Lyon College Class of 2002

After traveling to Mexico three times during my undergraduate career (twice with Lyon College) and to Spain with Lyon's Nichols Travel Program, I knew that I wanted to live in a Spanish speaking country. Hence, two and half weeks after graduating from Lyon, I climbed onto a plane and went to Santiago, Chile for eight months as a volunteer with UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission). Those eight months were the best of my life! I also traveled to Argentina and Colombia during my stay. I learned so much about the culture and people that I love. Everyone experiences some degree of culture shock when entering a new culture; however, with my well-rounded Spanish background that I received at Lyon, being submerged into my Spanish surroundings was the least of my worries. I would suggest studying abroad to everyone. Living abroad is a life changing experience. I will always have a huge place in my heart for Chile and its people.