As a soon to be second-year, Antonio Sanchez was excited to go abroad during his first summer at LMU. He was looking forward to getting the chance to visit another country, as well as hoping to improve upon his leadership skills through the program. Thanks to the First To Go program, Sanchez was able to make his way to Bonn, Germany for the summer.
Sanchez is sophomore civil engineering major, and participates in the American Society of Civil Engineering, as well as the Engineering for Humanity Clubs. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, fiddling with Rubik’s Cubes, and watching anime. Recently, Sanchez took some time to reflect about his experiences in Bonn and the program he went with.
You went with the program as a part of the First To Go program. Can you talk a little about the program?
The First To Go program helps first-generation students who are a part of the program get through college. They offer a lot of support to students, and are located in the Academic Resource Center. I didn’t choose where to go for the program, I went wherever the First To Go program took students. They are honestly amazing people and have helped me navigate through college with issues that I have faced throughout the few semesters I have been here.
How was the academic side of the trip for you?
For me, the academic side was pretty good during the trip. We would usually go to the AIB center (an international education center in Bonn) together on the subway in the morning, and stay there for a few hours with breaks to get some food. I noticed that I was able to participate and feel safe sharing my stories with the group, which was new to me, because I’m usually more of a listener.
What made Bonn unique from the USA?
What made Bonn unique was that people relied heavily on public transportation, and it was pretty efficient. The food options were very different compared to the USA in a way that I felt that the food tasted healthier, and the soda as well. I did some familiar restaurants, but I did try to eat foods that I had never had such as Crepe, Beethoven soup, and currywurst. It also felt very safe being there as a student abroad.
What were the leadership workshops like, and how did your leadership abilities change after the program?
The leadership workshops were great, a lot of participation from the students and they were mainly group activities. From the workshops, I learned a lot about leadership, it expanded my knowledge of how it can be used efficiently in different areas. To add on, there was a diversity aspect to this workshop, so I learned more about diversity during the trip and found it interesting that even though I didn’t know our instructors, I had some similarities with them when we shared our stories focusing on the topic of diversity.
Do you have any more advice for other first-generation college students wanting to go abroad?
My advice for first-generation students would be to ask about this opportunity at the study abroad office and to apply for the First To Go abroad trips because the cost is not expensive, and they would get a lot out of it by being able to communicate with other first-generation students.
You said you went on the trip during your birthday; what was it like celebrating abroad?
It was my first time celebrating my birthday not with my girlfriend, family, and friends at home, so it did feel weird. I made the most out of it by going on a hiking trip to go visit a castle. It was a nice castle, and I bought some souvenirs from a little shop that they had. I then went on an adventure to find a glasses repair shop because I dropped my dad’s glasses and one of the lenses popped out. Luckily, I found a shop that repaired it for free, then went to visit a museum and ended the day with a Big Mac from McDonald’s.
What were your favorite spots to go to in Bonn?
My favorite spots would be Schloss Drachenburg, Kunst-und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Art Museum, and Vapiano. The Schloss Drachenburg was the dragon castle, and it had a lot of art that was very eye-catching and the area that surrounded it had a beautiful view with statues and a lot of greenery. Kunst-und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland and the Art Museum were both museums that had paintings, visual audio, and one of them even had a slide at the top of the roof that led to the ground which was very fun to go down. Lastly, Vapiano was the Italian restaurant that was down the block from our hotel which was the spot I would go to to eat some delicious food.
Where were you staying, and what was the housing like?
I was staying at the Bonnox Hotel sharing a room with two other guys. The rooms were very spacious, and had plenty of space for multiple people. The hotel had breakfast in the morning, and that was something I always looked forward to. Overall, the hotel was great, and those who worked there were very helpful when it came to washing clothes, since the instructions for how to do it were all in German.
Finally, would you recommend this trip to others?
Yes, I would recommend this trip to other people. I think that Bonn is a nice place to visit since it is a safe place and small which allows a lot of exploring in a short amount of time. I would also like to say that the food was delicious, and the public transportation is very reliable and on time.