<p>So this is definitely a first draft, but could I have some help tweaking it? I’m not sure if I answered the questions well and it feels a bit redundant.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
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<p>Explain why you are interested in a Discovery Program and studying abroad your first semester of college. How have you previously adapted to a new environment, culture, language, or spending time away from your family? How would you expect this Discovery experience to change you?</p>
<p>The summer of my sophomore year of high school, I stepped out of my comfort zone in a way like never before; I signed up for a mission trip in which I would travel to a small community in Guayaquil, Ecuador, live with a host-family, and build houses. The most intimidating aspect of this was the fact that I would be speaking Spanish for the majority of the time. Despite the fact that I had been taking Spanish since elementary school, I knew nothing would have prepared me for my complete immersion in the language. Aside from the language barrier I would face, I also knew absolutely no one who I would be traveling with. I went in completely blind, knowing essentially nothing about what the next two weeks would bring me. These factors contributed toward this trip being absolutely life-changing. I returned the following summer and will return once again this July. The summer leading up to my sophomore year of college I plan on staying in Guayaquil for three months, while living with my host-family and teaching English to young children.</p>
<p>Seeing as I plan on majoring in Spanish in addition to Communication Disorders and Sciences, I can not think of a better way to expand my knowledge of the Spanish language than living in Madrid. My experience in Ecuador has taught me that, although memorizing conjugations and adjectives in a classroom does serve its purpose by creating a strong base for learning the language, being completely immersed in both the language and culture is the ideal way to gain knowledge.
Being a part of the Discovery Program in Madrid would be an absolutely transformative experience. I can see it not only expanding upon my love of traveling, but also transforming my Spanish skills and being the next step towards eventually becoming fluent. Ultimately, experiencing the Spanish culture through this program would be the best possible way for me to expand my knowledge both in the classroom and in the Spanish-speaking world.</p>