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Student Profiles

Program alumni are the best resources for students interested in going abroad, and they are available to answer your questions. If you would like to talk to a recent student about their experience in Argentina, get in touch with the advisor, Alessandra Capossela. 

A student smiling in a theater

Sophie Mueller, Middlebury College, Buenos Aires

I’ve always been scared of horses. But, when an Argentine friend from my university asked me to take a polo class after school, I jumped at the opportunity to hang out with my new friends. The next week, I found myself on the way to a local equestrian club. After some initial nerves, I ended up really enjoying whacking around the bocha while trotting on my horse on the polo field. The laughter with my friends afterwards over mate and alfajores is what I enjoyed most about that day.

My semester in Argentina helped me to get out of my comfort zone, learn more about another culture, and about myself. I traveled on my first solo trip in Argentina to Mendoza, where I spent a day rafting and ziplining in Potrerillos, a day exploring the Andes, and a day wine tasting in Uco Valley. The experiences were amazing, but the highlight of my trip was making friends with a Brazilian couple and getting to practice my Portuguese throughout the weekend. I am so thankful for the people who invited me to share special moments in Argentina - from celebrating my host mom’s birthday asado, chatting with my professors about my thesis research, cheering on Boca with a group at the Bombonera, exploring neighborhoods with my high school host sister from Mar del Plata, eating at traditional bodegones with classmates, and everything in between. While there were plenty of challenges, the friends that shared these moments with me are what I will remember most.

A study abroad student at the Middlebury School in Argentina stands on the coast

Bridget Stauss, Amherst College, Buenos Aires

When friends and family ask me how my time in Buenos Aires was, I am always at a loss for words. I usually respond with a superlative like “amazing” or “fantastic,” but truly no words can accurately convey the entirety of my experience. From the amazing hiking trips in Patagonia and the political marches in the city to the calm moments sipping mate in the Palermo parks and everything in between, my experience in Buenos Aires was enthralling, challenging, and ultimately indescribable. Buenos Aires is a city with an incredible history, political energy, and culture – there is always something to do or an event to attend. Art museums, concerts, feminist meetings, Orgullo, drum circles, boliches – you name it. The people I met in Buenos Aires were kind-hearted, welcoming, and passionate. I learned so much about Argentine history and culture just during the dinners I had with my host mom and the conversations I had with my Argentinian friends. It was not easy – I frequently made mistakes in the language, occasionally hopped on the wrong subte, and had to work hard in my classes – but my experience was all the more rewarding for these challenges. Buenos Aires is a dynamic, living city – it cannot be described accurately in a short paragraph. I am so grateful that I was able to experience it.

A student stands outside with a crowd of people during sunset

Maren Walsh, Middlebury College, Buenos Aires

The semester I spent in Buenos Aires felt simultaneously like the shortest semester of my life and also the longest. Between studying, attending political marches, forcing my Argentinian friends to teach me how to cook, seeking out the best views in every corner of the country, and drinking an absurd amount of café con leche, the time somehow just slipped away. However, when I think back on all the things I did, I can’t figure out how I possibly fit that much into a five-month period. When they say there’s always something to do in Buenos Aires, they aren’t kidding. There is a truly infinite number of music events, art exhibits, ice cream shops, and unique neighborhoods to explore. More importantly, there’s always someone interesting to meet. By far the best part of my semester were the friends I made in surprising places— convenience stores, taxis, the leftist newspaper stand in front of my university, tango venues, boliches (nightclubs), feminist art fairs, non-profit fundraising events… One of the special things about arriving in a city where you don’t know anyone is that it makes you more open to get to know everyone, and I’m grateful that Buenos Aires welcomed me with arms wide.