WKU News

From a small town in Minnesota to the streets of Spain, one Honors student's study abroad experience reinforced her passion for international affairs, and showed her that some of life's greatest lessons happen outside the classroom.

For Aly Johnson, studying abroad was never a matter of if—only where.

"My mom studied abroad in college," Johnson said. "She went to Madrid. So I kind of always knew I wanted to study abroad. When I got to WKU, the question was, 'Where am I going to go?'"

That question eventually led the rising sophomore more than 4,500 miles from Western Kentucky University to Barcelona, Spain, where she spent 54 days immersed in Spanish language, culture, and a completely new way of seeing the world.

Johnson, a triple major in international affairs, political science, and legal studies on the pre-law track, first came to WKU from Willmar, Minnesota after being recruited to compete on the University's nationally recognized Forensics Team.

"I've always kind of known I wanted to go far from home," she said. "I never even really thought about going to Kentucky. When you live in Minnesota, you don't think about Kentucky probably ever."

After touring campus, however, WKU quickly felt like home.

"It was deceivingly beautiful and also deceivingly large," she laughed. "I 100% have no regrets about where I chose to go to school. I love WKU."

Learning Through Immersion

Johnson chose an independent WorldStrides program from WKU Global menu of providers that placed her at the University of Barcelona in Spain. Rather than traveling with a faculty-led WKU group, she wanted an experience that would challenge her to build a life abroad while still having the support of her home university.

"I wanted one where I felt separate from the university," she explained. "I felt like I was going in it alone, but also having the background support of WKU along the way."

Her eight-week program was entirely conducted in Spanish. She completed intensive language and culture courses, spending nearly five hours a day in class four days each week.

"The entirety of the eight weeks was fully in Spanish," she said. "That was a little scary."

But it was exactly the challenge she had hoped for.

Living in an apartment with students from universities across the United States while attending classes alongside international students created an experience that stretched far beyond language learning.

"I ended up meeting people from South Korea, China, Germany," Johnson said. "I made friends from all across the U.S., too. It was really cool to see both sides of that."

Seeing International Affairs Come to Life

For someone studying international affairs, Barcelona became more than a classroom—it became a living case study.

"I hadn't really left the U.S. before," Johnson admitted. "So I was studying international relations and affairs without ever really knowing anybody internationally."

That changed quickly.

"I took a culture class, and it taught me a lot more about how differently other countries run."

One of the most fascinating lessons came from experiencing the unique identity of Catalonia firsthand.

"A lot of people say countries are different, but you kind of assume everything almost runs or operates the same—and it definitely doesn't," she said. "It was really interesting to see the difference between Barcelona and Madrid."

Learning about Catalonia's language, politics, and regional identity transformed concepts she had previously only encountered in textbooks.

"I saw the inner workings of even a country's divide," she said. "That was really interesting as somebody who's really interested in politics and international affairs."

The experience also reinforced her future goals.

"I really want to go to law school," Johnson said. "But if I don't, I'd really like to go to graduate school and study international affairs further."

Rediscovering a Love for Language

Ironically, Johnson wasn't even pursuing her major while abroad.

Although she had studied Spanish for years, she had stepped away from the language after arriving at WKU.

"I was really burnt out," she admitted. "That's why I ended up dropping it in the first place."

Barcelona changed that.

"Being surrounded by people who only speak it, you're like, 'Wow...maybe this isn't that bad.'"

Even traveling to countries where she didn't know the language reinforced the value of multilingual communication.

"Going to Spain and studying Spanish made me realize how important language learning is," she said. "I would continue trying to learn independently if not through the university."

More Than Just Classes

Johnson hopes other students realize that studying abroad is about much more than earning academic credit.

"I didn't even go and study anything related to my major," she said. "Spanish is not my major. It was just something that really, really deeply interested me."

She believes many students mistakenly think every class abroad must directly connect to their career path.

"Study abroad is so much more than just the classes you're taking," she said. "People take the most away from the cultural lessons they're learning and the opportunities they have to travel."

She also encourages students not to let finances become an automatic barrier.

"There's 100% opportunities for students to apply to scholarships," Johnson said. "Especially through WKU when talking to an advisor."

And for students looking beyond traditional coursework, she points out that international internships are another pathway worth exploring.

"When you hear 'study abroad,' it's almost like a buzzword," she said. "But it goes so much deeper than that."

Inspiring the Next Adventure

Johnson has already begun seeing the ripple effect of her experience.

Her freshman roommate—who had never considered studying abroad—is now planning to pursue an international experience herself.

"I've had three or four people reach out to me asking what program I used and if I'd recommend it," Johnson said. "I would definitely 100% continue recommending it."

She is already looking toward her next opportunity, with hopes of applying for a Fulbright after graduation.

"Going abroad definitely did not hinder my want to do that," she said.

Looking Beyond Our Horizons

When asked what advice she would give students considering study abroad, Johnson didn't hesitate.

"I think a lot of people in the United States become comfortable where they are because the U.S. is so expansive," she said. "The only way to really learn more is to push yourself outside of the United States and outside of our horizons."

For Johnson, international experiences are not simply about seeing new places—they're about bringing new perspectives home.

"It can be really, really scary," she said. "But it's so important to get outside of your comfort zone and go learn lessons from other people."

She believes those experiences ultimately strengthen not only individual students, but entire communities.

"Other cultures have important lessons for the United States to learn," she said. "When students see another student who went abroad and hear their story, they recognize that's actually an option they can do."

For Johnson, that may be the most valuable lesson of all: sometimes the biggest opportunities begin when someone simply shows you that the world is waiting.