IVCC student to study abroad in Spain next semester

Illinois Valley Community College student Drew Knipper may already be a seasoned international traveler, but spring will bring an entirely new adventure, as he’ll spend four months studying abroad in Seville, Spain.

He’ll live with a host family near the International College, where he’ll study Spanish language and culture. Seville will continue to be his home base between excursions around the country and to Morocco, which is just across the Strait of Gibraltar in North Africa.

That’s a trip he’s looking forward to.

“I’ll be able to say I’ve been to Africa,” Knipper said. “I’m intrigued with the culture, which is different from where I’ve been. I loved Europe, and I just want to travel everywhere.”

Since taking his first international flight at age 2, Knipper’s been to 11 countries, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Mexico among them. His family has enjoyed immersing themselves for weeks in a town or village, “going to the grocery store, going to festivities – the traditional stuff, getting to know the places we went. You can experience more in that way.”

Knipper said his father is flying with him to get him settled in Spain, and they’ll enjoy a layover in Rome together.

Knipper, who is from Princeton, will be back in Illinois in time to graduate with his IVCC class.

“[Travel] has given me a better appreciation for different cultures and has fueled an enjoyment of culture and history and geography,” Knipper said. “It’s helped me be thankful for things I do have and that I don’t have. I’m thankful for what I’ve experienced [on my travels] and thankful for things at home that you might not realize, like a nice bed or a soft pillow.”

He said he enjoys learning new languages but was attracted to Spanish, the second most spoken in the world, enough to make it his major.

Although Knipper’s planning to pursue a law degree and use his language skills in practice, he said he’ll be able to incorporate Spanish in any field, even if he veers off that career path.

“There are so many different options because I have a second language,” he said.

Seville, Spain’s fourth largest city, has a rich Moorish heritage and is filled with architecture and history and a palace.

“A ‘Star Wars’ movie was filmed there,” Knipper said. “It looks pretty cool.”

He said his previous travel experience has left him calm and confident.

“I know enough Spanish to get around and hold a conversation – not a deep one, but I can ask directions,” he said.

Knipper is active on campus as student government vice president, a 21st Century scholar, a member of the Student Success Committee, a student ambassador and a guest on IVCC’s podcast. He’s also active in church and community in his hometown of Princeton.

The trip is made through the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs. IVCC’s study abroad program is open to students older than 18 who will earn college credit on their trip.

Illinois Valley students recently have studied in Austria, France and Costa Rica, as well as Spain. Study abroad programs also are offered to England, Ireland and now Ghana, West Africa, and Canada.

The application deadline for a summer trip abroad is Feb. 15. Questions about the program can be directed to international and multicultural education coordinator Amanda Cook Fesperman at 815-224-0203 or Amanda_CookFesperman@ivcc.edu.