Alberto Yagüe Vázquez’s Kent State experience began when he chose to leave his home in Boadilla del Monte, near Madrid, Spain, to attend college. “I decided I wanted to study in the United States because of what it meant — I wanted freedom and independence, and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone,” said Alberto, a junior majoring in Finance and Actuarial Mathematics with minors in Chinese and International Business.
He traveled to Xi’an, China, at the end of spring semester 2019 and spent a month studying Business Administration
and Cross-Cultural Communication. “I learned so much during this trip, especially about Chinese culture and about the way Chinese people do business,” Alberto said.
“A study abroad experience changes your mind. As a Spanish citizen living in Kent, I truly believe that every American student should have a study abroad experience. In today’s globalized world, this can be a huge advantage because every day, American businesses do more and more business internationally and need employees with different cultural backgrounds and the ability to integrate themselves in other cultures,” he said.
Alberto received scholarship support from the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Office of Global Education that made this experience possible for him.
“A study abroad experience is life changing. It can open your eyes in so many ways. By donating to study abroad scholarships, donors are giving students that opportunity. They are changing our lives,” Alberto said.