This July, 14 Hendrix students spent a month in Spain, exploring and studying peninsular and Latin American Spanish literature at the prestigious University Complutense of Madrid. With the support of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation, Spanish professors José Vilahomat and Irmina Fabricio led students from classrooms to castles, monasteries, historic districts, fortresses, and beyond, enriching their understanding of the Hispanic world, its history, and literature.
The Hendrix-in-Madrid program is distinct in its rigor and offers courses such as "Women and Writing in 16th and 17th Centuries," "Literature and Drama During Spanish Civil War," and "Documentary Theater in Latin America." The annual Hendrix-in-Madrid program has been supported by the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation since 2007.
A visit outside of the classroom to the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum was a favorite of Mabrey Matz ’24. “The Thyssen had so much famous artwork all in one place,” she said. “Monet, Degas, Van Gogh. It was definitely my favorite museum we visited.”
Murphy Scholar Laysha Cervantes ’25 frequented scenic spots to get a better feel for daily life in the city. “I loved the Parque del Oeste,” Cervantes said. “It overlooked the entire city, and so many people go there and read and watch people practice rowing; it was very peaceful. At night, I would walk around the royal palace eating ice cream. It was the best thing ever.”
Visits outside of the city to Granada and Segovia offered students the chance to study the beautiful architecture of the Alhambra and take in the fairytale landscape of the Alcazar of Segovia.
“In high school I had a page in my sketchbook where I recreated a picture of the Alhambra, not knowing that I’d ever get to see it in person,” Matz said. “Seeing it on our trip was definitely a surreal experience for me.”
While the program is open to Hendrix students of all majors, around half of students majoring in Spanish participate in Hendrix-in-Madrid, enhancing their experience within the major and expanding their cultural knowledge of the language.
“I loved being able to speak my language and somehow learn so much more about it and my own Mexican culture through Spanish culture,” Cervantes said. “I have always been interested in Spanish literature, and I love poetry. It was so cool to compare my culture to their culture, learn about the similarities and differences we share, and connect my own last name to one of the greatest Spanish writers in history, Miguel de Cervantes.”
“The opportunity the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation puts in the hands of these carefully selected students makes a difference in their careers,” said faculty coordinators Vilahomat and Fabricio. “It allows students to study abroad (many for the first time), to advance their minor or major, and to foster their knowledge of literature and foreign languages.”
To learn more about study-travel opportunities with the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation, visit our website! Interested in applying to Hendrix-in-Madrid 2024? Contact studyabroad@hendrix.edu or stop by SLTC 243 on Wednesdays between 1 and 4 p.m. for drop-in study abroad advising.