Lugo
June is ending. Which means that the best time for many students begins: The holidays. No more getting up early to go to school or college, hellish classes, exams… But, within the student sector, there is a small part that this month leaves with honey on its lips, the Erasmus students. This is a European Union program that offers the possibility of taking a complete course, or part, abroad.
Lenise Lópes returns to Burela with “an incredible and rewarding experience” behind her after having completed her Erasmus in Cape Verde, her native country. This student from IES Monte Castelo de Burela has been in charge of launching the 1st International Erasmus of this Mariñan institute and now, two months later, she puts an end to this stage.
It makes a positive balance. She herself admits that she “was very eager and excited to go”, not only because an experience like this is worth it, but also “seeing how work was done in Cape Verde seemed very interesting to me. The truth is that I liked it a lot.”
A daring and unforgettable experience
A new experience always comes loaded with unforgettable moments as well as an adaptation process that can be quite difficult. “The first few days you feel a little strange, but as time goes by, and by working and living with people from there, you end up feeling like one more,” Lenise confesses.
For Marcelino Luna, head of the Erasmus programme at this educational centre in Burela, it is necessary to have prior knowledge about the destination where the student is going. “Going to Cape Verde means getting to know the country, knowing how to defend yourself in a different language and culture… it can be a difficult place for someone who is not of Cape Verdean origin,” he describes.
Lenise Lópes met this “requirement” by being a native. A part of her family continues to reside in the land where she was born, she had a lifeline that she could draw on when she needed it. “Lenise is a pioneer in our center, but we intend to encourage more people to do their internships in Cape Verdean companies,” says Marcelino Luna. Of course, the students are not alone in this adventure, they are accompanied by the teachers.
Every place where what is learned in the course is put into practice leaves a mark on the students’ lives. And the Erasmus program becomes an unforgettable and unrepeatable experience for students. You can see how “the years go by” for them in this adventure, “they acquire maturity, establish bonds and know how to value what we have here in our land, it is a very important learning experience,” says Marcelino Luna.
A pioneering IES
Although IES Monte Castelo has been doing what is now called the Erasmus program for more than 30 years, the novelty comes when new countries and companies are found to carry out internships outside of Spain. “We have extensive experience in countries of the European Union such as France, Italy or the Czech Republic; The novelty comes with Lenise because for the first time we overcome the EU barrier and move on to third countries,” says the teacher.
A further step that would not have been possible if the student was not from there, “as she was willing, we decided to take the leap”. An advance in academic terms that represents a challenge since Cape Verde did not have experience in receiving foreign students, say the Mariña educational centre.
