糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Student Broadens Horizons Through Study Abroad in Uruguay
糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student Josh Wynne-Hudson spent part of his summer studying thousands of miles from home and came back with lessons that will shape his future career.
Wynne-Hudson, an ASL/English interpretation major from Joplin, Missouri and member of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program, spent five weeks in Montevideo, Uruguay, studying Latin American history and culture, the social dimensions of health in Latin America, and experiencing the country鈥檚 vibrant culture firsthand. He participated in the summer program at Universidad ORT Uruguay, the country鈥檚 largest private research university, in May and June.
鈥淲hen I started looking into study abroad programs, I didn鈥檛 have a specific destination in mind,鈥� Wynne-Hudson said. 鈥淏ecause my major is in American Sign Language, my options were more limited, but I wanted something that was culturally relevant and interesting. The more I learned about Uruguay 鈥� from its renewable energy efforts to its high literacy rate and great quality of life 鈥� the more I wanted to experience it for myself.鈥�
The university鈥檚 study abroad program combined academic coursework with rich cultural immersion. Wynne-Hudson and his classmates toured Montevideo鈥檚 Ciudad Vieja 鈥淥ld City,鈥� a historic area filled with art, architecture, and street vendors. They explored Sierra de Minas, where Wynne-Hudson faced his fears on a ziplining adventure and learned about Uruguay鈥檚 elaborate tea rituals by preparing yerba mate. Other excursions included visits to the Parliament building, the zoo, and several local food tastings.
鈥淢ontevideo is such a vibrant city,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can walk around and find new events, new people, and new things to do every day. I especially loved the street markets, called ferias. I鈥檓 really into antiques, and I ended up finding a lot of antiques and vinyl records.鈥�
Living in an apartment during his stay gave Wynne-Hudson a firsthand look at daily life in Uruguay as well as an opportunity to navigate language barriers.
鈥淟iving in a place where Spanish isn鈥檛 my first language was sometimes daunting, but it was also incredibly rewarding,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t pushed me to improve my communication skills and become more adaptable, which is really important in my future career.鈥�
Wynne-Hudson said one of the most valuable parts of the experience was learning how to overcome communication challenges 鈥� a skill that鈥檚 essential for interpreters.
鈥淭his trip really helped me get more familiar with how to handle communication barriers,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 such an important part of interpreting, and it鈥檚 something I couldn鈥檛 have learned as effectively in a classroom.鈥�
The experience also took Wynne-Hudson beyond Uruguay鈥檚 borders. He visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he toured museums and connected with Argentinian Sign Language interpreters.
鈥淚t was fascinating to see the similarities and differences in sign language use,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 recognized a lot of the signs, and talking with them gave me new insights into how sign language is used in other countries.鈥�
For Wynne-Hudson, the trip was a transformative journey that expanded his worldview and prepared him for his future as an interpreter.
鈥淏eing immersed in another culture and navigating communication differences gave me tools that will help me throughout my career,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t would be amazing to go back someday with the benefit of hindsight and everything I learned on this trip.鈥�