I read Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “One Art” in my freshman gen-ed literature class at the University of Iowa. The refrain in this poem has since resurfaced in my life, culminating in my plans to study in China for the 2017-2018 academic year.

My name is Mary Harkleroad and I am an undergraduate biomedical engineering student here at the University of Iowa. I participated in the CIMBA program located in Northern Italy at the Istituto Filippin. I was the first person in my family to study abroad as well as being the first to attend college. Needless to say, my family and myself were very skeptical about studying abroad at first. College alone provides many financial and personal challenges but applying the same concepts and adding in a whole new country is difficult to wrap your mind around. But it doesn’t have to be.

During my study abroad experience in Madrid, I was thankful for the sights I saw, the people I met, and the journeys I went on. But one of the most gratifying experiences was being able to find myself and identify with my Hispanic background. I felt as though a part of me that was empty for so long was finally filled.