WT Students Explore New Cultures on Study Abroad Trip to Peru

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Six West Texas A&M University students recently spent a month living in an unfamiliar culture thanks to a Study Abroad trip to Peru.

The students, all of whom are Spanish majors or minors, spent June traveling throughout the South American country, including living for three weeks with host families in Lima.

“They got close contact with Peruvian culture daily,” said Dr. Eduardo Huaytán-Martínez, assistant professor of Spanish and director of the Spanish program in the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. “They shared time with their families, and they adapted very well to the culture.”

Students earned six college credits in Spanish language and culture classes during the trip, but some rewards may have been even more valuable.

“It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Ubaldo Campa, a senior political science major and Spanish minor from Amarillo. “I’ve lived in Amarillo my whole life and every summer it’s been pretty much the same thing, so I wanted to do something different.”

Huaytán-Martínez, a Peruvian native himself, said students were able to learn about the country’s history from the precolonial period to contemporary times. They spent time in Lima, Miraflores, Cusco and Ica, and visited such cultural landmarks as the Machu Picchu ruins and the Larco Museum.

“Peru is varied in its history and its culture, but also in nature,” Huaytán-Martínez said. “We explored the highlands, a portion of the Amazon and the desert area near the Pacific coast. The food is delicious and varied as well.”

Most of the participating students are Mexican American, Huaytán-Martínez said.

“But most of them have never been in any Latin American country, not even Mexico,” he said. “Those countries aren’t the same, but they have many things in common. And most of our students are fully bilingual, and they showed here how proficient they are.”

Campa agreed.

“Peru felt like Mexico at first, but after two days, I could tell the difference,” said Campa, who traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico, last year for the first time. “My favorite parts were out in the rural areas. I’d rather be out there for the whole experience than in the city.”

“Faculty-led study abroad programs are important to a student's academic experience because it allows our students to grow into culturally competent leaders that are aware of the global society that exists outside of their day-to-day life,” said Itzel Anett, director of WT’s Study Abroad and Distinguished Scholars programs. “We work hand-in-hand with students to provide support, minimize the financial limitations that may stop them from participating, and ensure academic progress. We want students to feel equipped and prepared to be successful abroad.”

In addition to Campa, participating students included Jocyln Carrasco, a senior applied arts and sciences major from Amarillo; Daphne Favela, a junior education major from Hereford; Michaela Kramer, a senior communication studies major from San Antonio; Aylin Navarrete, a senior accounting major from Perryton; and Daisy Pando, a senior Spanish major from Borger.

Providing a nurturing yet rigorous educational environment for learners of all levels is a key principle of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University students Michaela Kramer, from left, Aylin Navarrete, Ubaldo Campa, Jocyln Carracso, Daisy Pando and Daphne Favela recently toured Machu Picchu and other cultural landmarks on a Study Abroad trip to Peru.

—WT—