Sarah Repko ’19 poses in front of the Guggenheim Museum on a bridge leading to Deusto, where she’s on a fast track to earning a master’s degree in Spain, thanks to one of UMW’s new 4+1 international pathways.
For Sarah Repko ’19, home is where you never feel alone, no matter who’s around. It’s where you have a sense of peace, comfort and community.
That’s what Repko found at the University of Mary Washington, and that’s what she found nearly 4,000 miles away in Bilbao, Spain. There, she’s earning a master’s degree in international relations and business diplomacy at Universidad de Deusto. And she’s on a fast track for it, thanks to one of several new 4+1 partnerships between UMW and overseas schools. The pathways let students earn master’s degrees in half the time, while soaking up culture outside the U.S.
The rolling Nervión River. Charming, walkable neighborhoods. The food – savory pintxo, rich tortilla española. Repko embraced it all, and shortly after arriving in the Spanish port city for her first study abroad experience, she found herself texting Center for International Education (CIE) Director Jose Sainz.
“During the few weeks I’ve been in Bilbao, I’ve been thinking about either returning or staying an extra semester … ” she wrote in winter 2018. “Would it be possible and what would I have to do?” Read more.