The yearly cycle for me and for our office usually includes a deep exhale in August, after a summer full of LITA programs. This year, of course, was different. For obvious reasons it was more of a cathartic exhale, bubbling up emotions of relief, pride, humility and earnest thanks. Relief and pride that our programs were once again able to run. Humility witnessing the graciousness and amiability of all of the host families and the beauty of the relationships that formed this summer. But, more than anything, awe and earnest thanks to all of our amazing students. It was an honor to be able to spend time with all of you this summer.
LITA programs are often challenging, but ultimately, we hope they are far more rewarding and transformational. Being present this summer to see our students reclaim the joy and adventure of being a teenager was a true gift. There is no greater reward for me in this work than watching our students fall in love with Spain, realizing that meaningful and lasting friendships are being forged through those challenging, shared experiences with their LITA peers, and laying roots down in their host community with a new cadre of Spanish friends and a new Spanish family. LITA programs are always emotional experiences for our students. For me, as the director, this summer was certainly a particularly emotional one.
I continue to marvel at how our students navigate these completely immersive experiences with determination and energy. Our programs are always more rural focused, with the primary goal of having students in areas more removed from larger cities and the English-speaking hubs in Spain. I think this is one of the elements that makes LITA a unique program, but it demands of our students that they bring a tenacious spirit and a curious nature to their experience…along with a complete commitment to speaking Spanish every waking moment of each day. Our students embrace the challenges of adapting to life in smaller communities and engaging in and learning from cultural differences in meaningful ways. A big thank you to all of our students for bringing such amazing grit and purpose to all of our programs.
The homestay portion of a LITA program continues to be the focal point of each student’s experience. The life-long bonds that form between our students and their familias is what makes these experiences so special, but also the fact that students are able to become active members of their host community. While working in internships, exploring the town, and meeting new friends, students are able to carve out an authentic role for themselves in an unfamiliar place. I urge you all to read the two student reflections featured in this newsletter: they both paint a beautiful, rich picture of the homestay experience and the enduring impact it has on a student.
I recognize that for many of our students traveling with LITA is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There are so many amazing summer programs out there, and I am humbled each year that our students choose to travel with us. As we typically do each fall, we are happy to be sending out an annual newsletter with LITA updates as well as interesting stories from the summer. We hope that this newsletter may serve as a welcome update and that you will help us spread the word to students that you believe would be a good fit for LITA in 2023.
As we close out summer 2022 and begin preparations for summer 2023, we look forward to continuing to keep in touch with alumni and friends across the country. I am so grateful to have shared such a meaningful (and fun!) summer with all of you. Thank you again for your continued support. It means so much to us.
