Ellie Crock, a double major in Spanish and ethics & public policy, and a Global Access Ambassador, studied abroad through the CIEE Buenos Aires Liberal Arts Program.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Over this past semester in Buenos Aires, I was lucky enough to spend time learning not only about the city and its rich culture, but also about myself in ways that were both unexpected and enlightening. The transition to living and studying in Buenos Aires was filled with challenges and growth, both academically and personally. From navigating everyday interactions in Spanish, to the deeper conversations I shared with my host family, I found that language barriers often led to the most profound exchanges. The switch to life in a major city left me constantly finding new places to explore. 

"I found the most wonderful friends, cafes, and experiences in Buenos Aires and faced challenges that pushed me to change my perspectives, and took time to learn more about Buenos Aires."

In many ways, studying abroad is designed to be a point in your life where things change. Such a shift in location, language, and lifestyle pushes you in directions that you may have never even considered. I found this to be true in my time in Buenos Aires. The city and its people had a great impact on not only my language skills, but also how I carry myself back in America. From very simple changes like the flow of the street or the grocery stores, to bigger changes like how to form and maintain friendships with people with different cultural backgrounds, the city and study abroad had a profound impact on who I am today.

Ellie Crock standing in front of a silver flower statue in Buenos Aires
Ellie Crock, a fourth year student, standing in front of Floralis Genérica, a structure located in Plaza de las Naciones Unidas in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the fall 2024 semester.

Some of my favorite things in Buenos Aires were the most challenging and different. Attending local universities and forming relationships with my classmates and professors in Spanish was a wonderful challenge. The differences in classroom culture, the more laid back, but heavy lecture-based style made me reassess how I best learn and collaborate with classmates. Attending conversation events pushed me to make conversation and use my Spanish outside existing relationships and structures I was familiar with. Seeing a local community form between Argentine natives and foreigners from around the world, and participating in this exchange, I learned so much about the possibilities of cultural exchange. There is so much about Argentina I love and I am so glad to have had these experiences that pushed me to see new possibilities.

Knowing that studying abroad has the potential to initiate these changes in my life was a factor in making the decision to study in Buenos Aires and in the choice to go abroad. I believe that it is a consideration for everyone as they decide on whether their program is right for them or if studying abroad is the right choice. For me, studying abroad is simultaneously the best time of your life and a time that can leave you feeling wayward.

"In Buenos Aires, it was easy to get lost, but being lost is the greatest opportunity to learn how to navigate or find a way to orient yourself."

This is why I believe that studying abroad is the most transformative thing I have ever done. Whether lost literally with a dying phone in the street, or having your perspective of you or your country challenged, being abroad forces you to find a solution or resolve the differences you find. This is where I found the most transformative moments in my time abroad. Taking the wrong bus to class (an embarrassing number of times) made me learn how to navigate public transit. At the same time, learning how Argentinians feel toward patriotism and how that shapes their political ideals and thoughts, challenged me to think and wrap my head around different perspectives and ways of thinking.


The Global Access Ambassador Scholarship program provides awards to study abroad for a summer, semester, or academic year. The scholarships are intended to support students who study abroad with the intent to serve as Global Access Ambassadors upon return to the UI campus. Upon completion of the study abroad program and return to UI, award recipients are asked to submit a photo and an open letter to prospective students or suggest an alternate means of sharing with prospective students.

Please note that the opinions and views expressed by ambassadors are solely those of the students and do not reflect or represent the views of International Programs or the University of Iowa.

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.