During the Spring 2018 semester, accounting & Spanish double major Maggie Kropf spent five months studying abroad in Córdoba, Spain. While in Spain, she had the opportunity to travel to multiple cities, as well as venture out into ten different countries. 

"The professional world is becoming more global – in all types of work, you need to interact with people of different cultures. Gaining perspective of the lives of others around the world is important for communication and personal development.”

“After the first semester of my freshman year, I went to the Dominican Republic on a three week J-term trip with Seton Hill,” Maggie says. “It was just enough time for me to have a great experience that made me want to go abroad for longer. Immersing yourself in a culture is the best way to learn a language.” 

Maggie worked with Associate Professor of Spanish Judith Reyna, Ph.D., and Spanish Professor and School of Humanities Dean Debra Faszer-McMahon, Ph.D., throughout the process of preparing to travel to a different country on her own. 

“They helped me get everything in order and also helped with communication, especially when I was trying to determine things like where I’d be staying, where I’d get my food, or how I’d get around,” Maggie says. “They stayed in contact with me while I was there and checked in as well.”

Now back on The Hill, Maggie continues to be active on-campus as a tour guide, president of the Business Club, vice president of Financial Affairs for Student Government and treasurer for the Spanish Club. She is currently working on her Honors Program capstone project and using her experiences abroad for inspiration. 

“I’ve been in touch with several Seton Hill alumni who also studied Spanish,” she says, “and I am working on a video to explain why it is important to study a language, specifically Spanish, even if you’re not a Spanish major. Learning another language can benefit anyone, whether you’re in education, health sciences or business. The professional world is becoming more global – in all types of work, you need to interact with people of different cultures. Gaining perspective of the lives of others around the world is important for communication and personal development.”

After graduation, Maggie will be working for Baker Tilly, an accounting firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a staff accountant in the auditing department. She completed an internship with the company this past summer and was intrigued by the opportunities that they had for their employees to visit and work in other countries, as she hopes to continue traveling in the future.