University of Richmond Athletics
Summer Spider Series: Erin Geoghan
06/05/2014 | Women's Lacrosse
The Richmond Spiders women's lacrosse team takes full advantage of resources that the University of Richmond provides during their summer months by studying or taking internships abroad, or staying in the US to take classes and gain work experience. Throughout the next several weeks the squad will be sharing their summer adventures to let you know what they have been up to this summer.
This is the first of our Summer Spider Series detailing some of our Spiders' summer adventures. Follow these posts to learn more about a few Spiders and what they have been up to this summer!
For the entire Summer Spider Series, click this link to our Series Page...
Rising senior Erin Marie Geoghan was selected to participate in “Academics and Athletics in Spain,” a unique five-week summer study-abroad opportunity available specifically to student-athletes. Hear more about her experience in Erin's own words below…
EG: This summer I am participating in the Academics & Athletes in Spain program at University of Richmond. The program consists of one Spanish course that is required at school and is extremely Spanish intensive, with four hours of class per day. We are also completing much of the learning and practice for the class in our everyday lives as our living arrangements are with a host family in the city of Seville.
(Erin Geoghan is fourth from the left on the front row)
A normal day in the week consists of waking up and going to the gym to work out in the morning or for a run, then coming home and either taking a nap or working on homework until our host dad comes home to make lunch for the family. After that we walk about a half hour to class and return home around 8:30 pm where we relax or study until dinner is served around 10:00 p.m. The lifestyle is extremely different here and it has taken some adjustments in our American schedules to adapt to the culture. This adaption has definitely contributed to my learning experience abroad.
Overall, the experience has had such a positive impact on me. I have been immersed in different cultures before, but adapting for an entire five weeks in another country is completely new and so exciting for me. It's extremely beneficial to spend time learning a new language and maneuvering through unknown areas in a group. I have made new friends with other athletes in the program and built a lasting relationship with the host mother caring for us. Lastly, it has really been an eye-opening experience by choosing to spend my summer completely out of my comfort zone in travel and lifestyle, and assimilating into the Spanish culture.
