Sobre Mi

My name is Haley Tolitsky, and I am a sophomore at Grand Valley State University, majoring in Finance and minoring in Spanish. This summer I will be spending a month studying Spanish in San Jose, Costa Rica with my friend, Jessica. I am studying abroad to learn a new culture and improve my speaking, writing, and listening skills in Spanish. Jessica and I chose Costa Rica because it is a place we have never been that is known for its jungles, beautiful beaches, and cities full of culture.

I started taking Spanish classes my freshman year of high school and have studied the language for 6 years total. I have a love for traveling and exploring new places. After family vacations every year for spring break to Spanish-speaking countries, such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic, one of my biggest goals has been to be fluent in the Spanish language. By communicating with locals on these trips and being exposed to the Spanish culture, I have developed a love for the language. I believe it is a great advantage to be bilingual and plan on using my fluency in the language in my future career and volunteer work.

My dream job is to own a resort somewhere in the Caribbean. I hope that after working for many years in a finance career, I will have the knowledge and funding to make my dream a reality. After family vacations to resorts around the Caribbean area, I have seen the poverty in villages surrounding the tourist areas, and by owning my own resort, I will be creating hundreds of new jobs for these people. The friendly atmosphere, warm weather, and elaborate culture is exactly where and how I want to start my business. With a minor in Spanish, I will be able to communicate with the local people, my employees, and tourists. It will be an amazing experience to use Spanish in my everyday life. I am prepared to sacrifice my current location, constantly seeing my family, and everything I am used to in order to move south and achieve my goals. I know that it will take a great deal of time, money, and effort in order to own a resort, but I am excited and ready to face these challenges. Participating in this study abroad will expose me to a new area where I might want to start my business and help me to prepare for this journey.

I am writing this blog to document my experiences abroad and for other students to learn what my program was like, what I obtained from the experience, and all the benefits of studying abroad. I hope to provide other students with a source to use while planning their study abroad trip. I am excited to have the opportunity to advance my education in another country and to share my reflections with others.

Jessica (left) and I our freshman year of college.