On Thursday, September 10, Arcadia hosted a webinar on study abroad in Cuba where Resident Director Elena Moreno discussed the Arcadia program. She was joined by program alumni Rebecca Acebal, Janelle Crilley, Abigail Taskier, and Casey Weld, who discussed their experiences in Cuba.
The former Cuba study abroad students took the time to answer questions from other webinar attendees and offered suggestions, advice, and encouragement to students who are considering studying abroad in Cuba. The session also covered topics such as the Arcadia orientation, daily life in Cuba, academics, excursions, challenges, and how the Cuba alumni were able to dispel their preconceived notions about Cuba on Arcadia’s program.
Acebal mentioned in the webinar that “[Cuba] is not all about the rum, the old cars, and the salsa dancing… I got to see a reality that opened up my eyes to not only how lucky I am, but to what’s actually going on in Cuba.”
The webinar came just a month after the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, which is expected to greatly influence Cuban-American relations over the next few years.