“Anywhere that stories can be found—or made—is somewhere I can call home,” reflects Ella Roerden ’27.
For Syracuse University students studying abroad in Santiago, Chile, “home” takes many forms—dinner conversation with host families, exploring Chilean history, volunteering locally, learning a new language or soaking in the natural beauty of untouched landscapes.
“Once I realized I was both learning the stories of my host family, my neighborhood, my professors and the city itself, as well as creating new stories with my roommate, friends, cohort and the people around us, it began to feel like home,” says Roerden, who spent the Spring 2025 semester in Santiago alongside fellow students Cassie Roshu ’26 and Olivia Fried ’26.
Living Like Locals
Olivia Fried ’26 (left) takes in the panoramic view of the Andes Mountains from her host mother’s apartment in Santiago, Chile.
A cornerstone of the Santiago abroad program is the homestay experience.
“Our host families are a key part of the program,” explains Santiago Program Director Mauricio Paredes. “They support our students daily—helping them navigate the city, meet Chileans by introducing them to friends and extended family—and are essential in helping them understand the culture and language.”
“I felt like I was home in Santiago the second I met my host mom,” says Fried, who shared an apartment overlooking the Andes Mountains with Roshu and host mother María Dolores. “She instantly made me feel welcome in her home and treated my roommate and me as she would her own children. We talked every day for hours in between our classes, she made us home-cooked Chilean meals every night, and she cared for us when we were sick.”
Speaking the Language
“I loved my host family experience,” says Cassie Roshu ’26 (left). “I lived with my best friend, Olivia Fried, and a wonderful woman named María. Through the stories she told us about her life and family, we learned more about what it’s like to live and think like a Chilean.”
Though courses in the spring program are taught in English, students inevitably find themselves immersed in Spanish through daily life.
“The spring program was the perfect opportunity for me to completely learn a new language from the ground up,” says Fried, who is pursuing a dual major in international relations and magazine, news and digital journalism from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, respectively.
“My host mom only spoke Spanish, so naturally she provided me an opportunity to practice every day,” explains Roerden, an anthropology and international relations major in the Maxwell School. “She and her family taught me and my roommate all kinds of Chilenismos—words and phrases unique to Chilean Spanish—and other fundamental pieces of Chilean culture.”
“My Spanish improved drastically throughout the semester,” Roshu adds. “By the end, I could comfortably hold conversations, express sarcasm and crack jokes in the language. I even mustered the courage to do karaoke in Spanish—and I think I killed it!”
Lessons With Lasting Impact
Santiago Program Director Mauricio Paredes (right) leads his class through the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, Chile.
In partnership with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile, students take classes at two of the best universities in Latin America and the world.
“The opportunity to take such highly specialized yet overarching and global courses at one of the foremost universities in South America was something I thought of from the day I applied,” Fried says. “The Santiago program director, Mauricio Paredes, absolutely transformed the way I think about the world.”
“Every course I took in Santiago was fruitful in ways least expected,” Roshu says. “My class studying South American music taught me about ethnomusicological complexes and artists special to regions I had the privilege of visiting—and my newfound knowledge was a gateway for friendships with Chileans who grew up with those traditions.”
A City That Feels Like Home
Glass high-rises stand tall against the backdrop of the Andes Mountains in Santiago. Home to five million people, Santiago is a vibrant cosmopolitan city.
Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, sits in the country’s central valley with dramatic views of the Andes Mountains.
“Chile is a gem in the region—a stable, safe and practically developed country,” Paredes says. “This allows our students to experience a different culture while enjoying familiar creature comforts.”
“Santiago taught me that the warmth and intimacy of people and their culture can make a big city feel quite small,” says Fried, who grew up in a rural community in Upstate New York.
“The city is a melting pot of immigrants—I made friends from other countries, including Venezuela, Peru, Spain and Canada,” Roshu says. “Because of that, I never truly felt out of place.”
In her free time, Roshu volunteered twice a week at a youth center, organizing after-school games. “My goal going into the Santiago program was to develop deeply personal relationships with Chileans, and I found that most with the kids I spent every Tuesday and Thursday with,” says Roshu, who credits Assistant Director Paula Lopehandía for connecting her with the opportunity.
South American Explorations
“I will never forget cruising through Patagonian fjords—that day was without a doubt one of the best in my life,” says Olivia Fried ’26 (far right).
The Spring 2025 cohort poses in Patagonia.
Included in the program are organized trips to Patagonia, Buenos Aires and Valparaíso, giving students a broader look at South American geography and culture.
"These experiences are truly meaningful,” Paredes says. “In the case of Patagonia, students get to see several aspects of the region: Chile’s cultural and geographic diversity, Indigenous heritage, environmental changes affecting the planet and the impact of our presence in the region. Plus, it’s simply stunning—the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen on Earth.”
“South America has so much beauty to offer,” Fried says. “I went horseback riding among volcanoes, whitewater rafting in crystal blue rivers, sandboarding in one of the driest deserts in the world and floated in lakes with a higher salt concentration than the Dead Sea. You will always have time for a European summer, but four months in the Southern Cone is an opportunity like nothing else you will ever experience.”
Bringing It Home
“Our trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, had the biggest impact on me academically,” says Cassie Roshu,” who was able to see historical sites she had only previously studied in books.
“I had experiences I am eternally grateful for,” reflects Ella Roerden ’27 (back left) on her unforgettable semester in Santiago.
The connections made, lessons learned and perspectives gained in Santiago stay with students long after they return to campus.
“During my semester in Santiago, I realized that my biggest responsibility was to be a sponge for the information around me, read as much as I can, think as much as I can, ask questions and, simply, live,” Roshu says. “I came back to my Newhouse courses with a better sense of the stories I’m truly curious to explore through my photo work and better able to speak about my opinions and curiosities with confidence.”
“I have carried a passion for human rights with me that grew so much stronger during my time in Santiago,” Fried says. “Now, I am interning for Physicians for Human Rights, a globally recognized nonprofit that works at the intersection of medicine, science and law.”
“I made some of my closest friends, I built lifelong memories, I saw once-in-a-lifetime landscapes, and I had experiences I am eternally grateful for,” Roerden says. “The stories you’ll get to tell when you come home will make you reflect in awe that you did something so cool.”
