My name is Winston Wacha, and I am a junior double majoring in Business and International and Global Studies (IGS) with a minor in Economics. I am interested in pursuing a career within the software industry, focusing on analytics or product management. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am a pitcher on the Brandeis Baseball team. This past semester, I studied in Granada, Spain, through the IES Abroad program.

I chose Granada because I had dreamed of traveling to Spain for many years. Granada offered everything I sought in a study abroad program: a warm climate, mountains, beaches, a variety of food, interesting courses, and the atmosphere of a college town. I opted for southern Spain due to my interest in researching and learning about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Granada, with Morocco just across the Strait of Gibraltar and a long, rich shared history, was the perfect place for my study abroad experience.

Throughout my semester abroad, I had the opportunity to travel to various places within Spain, including Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Cordoba. These cities provided me with an opportunity to delve deeper into Spanish history and architecture. While I explored much of Granada, three major sites stood out to me: witnessing a football match where legendary defender Sergio Ramos, currently playing for Sevilla FC, scored a goal against the host Granada CF in Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes; visiting Mirador de San Nicolas, a famous viewpoint renowned for its stunning panoramic views of the Alhambra, the Generalife gardens, and the Sierra Nevada mountains; and experiencing the awe-inspiring Alhambra Palace, a majestic fortress and palace complex built in the 13th and 14th centuries.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to study abroad as a student-athlete and am eagerly looking forward to returning to campus this spring.