A group of Purdue AAE students is studying abroad this semester in Madrid. They are participating in the program at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). The program is open to Purdue students who have completed at least two semesters of university study by the start of the program and have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Matt Cirillo is one of the AAE students in UC3M. He says it’s been an incredible experience living in Europe for a semester.

“I chose to study in Spain because it was an opportunity to improve my Spanish and I knew that the country was beautiful with many interesting cities,” Cirillo says. “I chose the UC3M program specifically because it is a great option for aerospace engineering. There are many easily transferable classes, including a few core classes.”

Sam Albert is another AAE student participating in the UC3M program this semester. He says he wanted to study abroad to experience another culture for an extended period of time. Albert says the learning extends beyond the classroom.

“My best experience so far would have to be going to my host-brother's 19th birthday party,” says Albert. “Not only was it a ton of fun, it gave me the perfect opportunity to interact with a lot of locals from Madrid my age. I still have a lot to learn here, but so far the biggest takeaway is that empathy is key when it comes to interacting successfully with other cultures.”

Both Albert and Cirillo say they would recommend study abroad for other AAE students.

“While it may be easier to stay at Purdue for the semester, I guarantee that the few months living and studying abroad will be one of, if not the best experience of a student’s college career,” says Cirillo.

Albert agrees and adds “It is a fun and valuable experience, and it's possible to make it work smoothly with course planning and internships if you plan ahead a little.”

Learn more about the UC3M program: http://bit.ly/aae-uc3m

Learn more about Sam Albert's study abroad experience: http://bit.ly/aae-albert

Learn more about Matt Cirillo's study abroad experience: http://bit.ly/aae-cirillo

top photo: UC3M students on the beach in Cadiz, Spain

middle photo: UC3M students with "astronauts" at Carnival in Cadiz, Spain

bottom photo: UC3M students on a day trip in Toledo, Spain