Long before Anthony Wilson arrived in Valencia, Spain, studying abroad was already part of the Michigan State University student’s story.

Growing up in Lansing, Wilson heard stories about his mother’s experience as an MSU student majoring in Spanish and studying abroad in Ecuador. Years later, during his senior year at Eastern High School, Wilson traveled outside the United States for the first time on a two-week class trip to Costa Rica.

The experience introduced him to a new culture and language while inspiring him to pursue something bigger.

“That trip was so life-changing in itself,” Wilson said. “I just knew I wanted to go back when I knew the language.”

Wilson decided to study Spanish in college, adding Spanish as a minor while holding onto the goal of returning to a Spanish-speaking country where he could communicate with others and fully immerse himself in the culture.

This summer, he did exactly that.

“This was the most life-changing experience that I’ve ever had.”

Wilson spent two months studying in Valencia, where he lived with a host family, took courses taught entirely in Spanish, and experienced everyday life in a new country. For the Lansing native and Lansing Spartan Scholars ambassador, the experience would become about much more than learning a new language.

“I think this experience changed my perspective more than anything,” Wilson said. “This was the most life-changing experience that I’ve ever had.”

From Lansing to Valencia

A graduate of Lansing’s Eastern High School, Wilson came to Michigan State with ambitions for his future and firsthand knowledge of the challenges students can face when transitioning to college.

After two years at MSU, he discovered a posting on Handshake for a Lansing Spartan Scholars ambassador position. He immediately saw an opportunity to help students coming from his community navigate their transition to college.

Wilson recalled arriving at MSU with goals for his future while navigating the challenges of adjusting to university life.

“I knew that I wanted to help other people who were in the same position as me do it a little bit smoother,” he said. 

He joined Lansing Spartan Scholars as an ambassador in May 2026, shortly before departing for Spain. With the program’s support and flexibility, Wilson was able to pursue his study abroad experience while remaining connected to the work and community he was building in Lansing.

“I knew that I had their full support and they just truly wanted me to go abroad and have this experience,” Wilson said. 

Valencia offered several things Wilson was looking for. The summer program allowed him to focus on his Spanish minor without interfering with coursework for his Engineering major. Living with a host family offered the cultural and language immersion he wanted, while Spain’s location provided an opportunity to experience other parts of Europe. 

Still, leaving home came with some uncertainty. 

Wilson was nervous about flying and wondered what it would be like to communicate every day in Spanish, particularly while living with a Spanish-speaking host family. 

“What if we’re just sitting at the dinner table and I can’t get the words out that I want to say in time?” he remembered thinking. 

Those concerns quickly gave way to growing confidence.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Wilson took courses through the University of Virginia’s study abroad program in Valencia. Each day, he traveled by bus from his host family’s home to classes in the city.

Once inside the academic building, there was one important rule: Spanish only.

Wilson took courses in Spanish phonetics, grammar, and media and conversation. Classes typically included 20 to 30 students, with lectures, discussions, and participation conducted entirely in Spanish.

The experience changed the way Wilson thought about learning a language.

At MSU, learning Spanish often meant studying vocabulary, practicing specific conversations, and preparing for assignments. In Valencia, lessons were everywhere.

A word on a billboard could become new vocabulary. Hearing an unfamiliar word surrounded by familiar ones could reveal its meaning through context. Conversations with his host family became opportunities to practice communicating in real time.

Wilson also discovered that his Spanish language skills were stronger than he had expected when he arrived.

By the end of the program, his vocabulary and understanding of Spanish had expanded considerably, but some of his most important learning happened outside of language study.

Experiencing a Bigger World

Living in Europe gave Wilson opportunities to experience cultures far beyond Valencia.

Spain’s public transportation system and relatively easy access to other destinations allowed him to travel on weekends by plane, train, and bus. His travels took him beyond Spain to places including France, Italy, and Morocco.

One particularly memorable experience came when Wilson traveled by train to Madrid to attend a Bad Bunny concert.

The experience further sparked his interest in Latin American and Caribbean Hispanic culture and introduced him to another unexpected way to improve his Spanish.

“I am super into reggaeton now,” Wilson said. “I’ve been learning a lot of Spanish from listening to reggaeton and Bad Bunny.”

Experiencing so many new places also brought moments of culture shock, one of the most challenging aspects of studying abroad for Wilson. It wasn’t simply homesickness or adjusting to different food or transportation. It was the realization of how much existed beyond the world he had always known.

“Just realizing how big the world is and how much is out there and being all the way across the ocean. That was a super crazy feeling,” he said.

Yet that realization also became one of the most meaningful parts of his experience.

“Just realizing how big the world is and how much is out there and being all the way across the ocean. That was a super crazy feeling.”

Wilson said being outside the United States helped him recognize how differently people around the world live, communicate, and understand their communities. 

“Being outside of America finally and getting out of that bubble was just so eye-opening,” he said. “There are so many languages that I could learn, so many cultures that I could experience, so many different ways that people live and grow up.”

Bringing the Experience Home

Returning to Michigan gave Wilson an opportunity to reflect not only on what he had experienced but also on what he had learned about himself.

Navigating unfamiliar cities strengthened his independence and ability to stay organized in uncertain situations. Communicating across language barriers taught him patience and helped him rethink how he interacts with people who are learning to communicate in a language that isn’t their own.

“You can still communicate with those who don’t speak the language,” Wilson said. “That’s a new lesson that I’ve learned. You can still communicate even when there is a language barrier.”

He also returned with stronger cross-cultural communication skills and greater confidence in his ability to navigate unfamiliar situations.

The experience also expanded how Wilson imagines his future. As an Engineering major with a Spanish minor, he can now envision living and working in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country.

“That’s a new lesson that I’ve learned. You can still communicate even when there is a language barrier.”

At the same time, traveling thousands of miles from Michigan gave him renewed appreciation for where his journey began.

“It has given me a renewed love and sense of gratefulness for my home country and home city as well,” Wilson said. “I definitely loved and missed this place when I was in Spain.”

A Broader Perspective on the World

Wilson’s advice for other Lansing Spartan Scholars and Michigan State students considering opportunities outside their comfort zones: “Just go for it,” he said. “Be completely open-minded to everything. Don’t go in with any sort of expectations or try not to go in with any fears.”

He encourages students to trust the support available through MSU and the programs surrounding them and to embrace the uncertainty that comes with being somewhere new.

For Wilson, that willingness to step into something unfamiliar ultimately led to a greater understanding of people whose experiences are different from his own.

His biggest lesson wasn’t tied to a particular city, class, or even how much his Spanish improved. Instead, it was about the value of connecting across cultures.

“It gives you a sense of empathy and new perspectives on life,” Wilson said. “You just learn so much when you talk to different types of people.”

Those experiences also strengthened his appreciation for diversity and the importance of cultural awareness.

“That was my biggest takeaway,” Wilson said. “How important diversity and being culturally intelligent and aware is.”

From Lansing to Valencia and back again, Wilson traveled abroad hoping to strengthen his Spanish and immerse himself in another culture. He returned with more than improved language skills and new experiences. He gained greater confidence in himself, a deeper appreciation for home, a broader understanding of the world, and just how much remains to be explored.

By Richard Taylor and originally published on MSU’s Undergraduate Education site