Overview of Semester

Mexico Fall 09 CGE students and guide atop Xochicalco

By: Kyle Soderberg

As the semester winds down, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on my experiences in Cuernavaca. I learned a lot this semester. I learned a lot about globalization and about some of its many facets. Globalization is a tricky thing and there are many viewpoints of it. NAFTA and neo-liberalism were also subjects we touched on in class. My Spanish skills improved greatly from my Spanish classes. The Spanish courses were for a short period of time but in an intense fashion. Also, all of the speakers we listened to this semester were very interesting. We had a wide array of speakers covering a wide array of topics. In general, the speakers in Mexico City were my favorite. I also enjoyed our excursion to the hacienda. The home stay experience was also a highlight of mine. I improved my Spanish skills greatly. I also got to see and experience different parts of the city.


Another important aspect of my semester was my internship. My internship experience taught me some valuable skills. I performed a semi-independent research project for a company. As a whole, I think my experience in Mexico was an important one. I had never been out of the country before, much less left Minnesota much. I have a new appreciation for people of difference cultures and the different cultures themselves. I am also now much more informed about the U.S. policy in foreign countries. I learned how this policy along with other organizations such as the World Bank has played instrumental roles in many developing countries. These roles have not always been positive. I will be graduated from Augsburg College after my semester here is over and I got so much out of my experience; I have accepted a graduate intern position with CGE here in their Cuernavaca, Mexico, site for the spring semester.