Barcelona Internship #HogsAbroad in Spain

Hi, my name is Allison Kennedy and I am a rising junior studying Accounting and Finance in the Walton College of Business here at the University of Arkansas. The past eight weeks I have had the pleasure of not only studying abroad, but interning abroad in my new favorite city; Barcelona! Located on the northeastern coast of Spain, Barcelona has so many different aspects to enjoy and discover; from its unique history, culture, landscapes, and even language, there was not a day to go by, where I wasn’t exploring some unique aspect of this incredible city.

The first four weeks of my program, I was enrolled in an Intermediate Spanish course, where I took classes at my external program’s Study Center (the CIEE Institute at Barcelona). Going to class was one of my favorite parts of studying abroad due to the interactive nature of the class, and the sweet CIEE staff.

Walkway to the CIEE Institute

My CIEE Program Director: Nando. Part of the amazing and helpful CIEE staff.

In addition to the Spanish course, I was enrolled within an Internship Seminar Course that complemented my actual Internship. For eight weeks I had the pleasure of working for a startup logistics company based out of Barcelona called Innroute. Essentially Innroute acts as a liaison between shipping companies and their customers to contract and manage shipments of pallets with rapidity, visibility, and the most competitive prices. During my time at Innroute, I worked as an Accounting intern, helping verify customer payments, inputting invoices into the accounting database, reconciling financial records with banks statements, and contacting customers regarding overdue payments. Interning abroad was such an incredible experience that helped me expand my cultural boundaries, and concurrently develop intercultural skills while gaining real work experience. 

Inside view of the Innroute Office 

Street view of my building

When I wasn’t in class or at my internship, I spent most of my time exploring Barcelona! From the mountains, to the beach, to the city’s architecture there was never a shortage of things to see in this city.

Lastly, my favorite aspect of my Spain experience was living with a host family. If you ever have the chance to study abroad and are deciding between living with a host family or in an apartment… LIVE WITH THE FAMILY. You can live on your own for the rest of your life, but when it comes to authentic home cooked meals, great conversations, laundry done for you, and developing new lifelong relationships… why wouldn’t you pursue this opportunity? This was the sweetest, most immersive, unique, and rewarding experience I have ever done. My family did not speak a lick of English, and before coming to Spain I had not taken a Spanish class since my Junior year of high school, so needless to say, my Spanish speaking skills were a little more advanced than a toddler watching “Dora the Explorer” on repeat. HOWEVER, by the end of the 8 weeks I became proficient in speaking Spanish, and fell in love with my host family! They made me feel right at home and were the most giving people I have met in my life— definitely one of my hardest goodbyes! 

My host family and me on my last night in Barcelona (if you look closely you can see the tears forming in my eyes).

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Accounting major Allison Kennedy spent the summer 2018 term in Barcelona, Spain with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship. Learn more about Allison's CIEE program.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/