Secondary education major, from Hoxie
Studied in Salamanca, Spain
She bombed her first Spanish test, so she talked to her professor after class and buckled down. She more than passed with an A. “When teachers know you want to learn they are really willing to help you.”
Allison loves to live with others in the residence hall or in a sorority. Why? Good company and group meals. “There is always a way to have alone time, but if you have a question there is always someone to help you too. It’s the best of both worlds.”
She tried just about anything in Spain—even grilled octopus. “I loved it, but I didn’t like looking at those suction cups. I’d find myself saying, ‘Don’t tell me what it is. I’ll just eat it.’”
A different culture means doing everything different, including how to flush the toilet. “There’s pushing the button, pulling the button, pulling a little string overhead, or stepping on something. When you can’t figure it out, remind yourself to look up. There might be a button up high.”
Allison had to adjust to Manhattan, and she avoided driving for two months for fear of getting lost. That mindset changed quickly. “Once you meet a few people it seems to get smaller. I really do think that K-State shrinks every year, and I always see someone I know on campus.”
