This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Diana. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change” in Mexico. 

Hello everyone, this is Diana coming from Augsburg CGEE Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change Program in Cuernavaca, Mexico. We have been here for two months now and we have made so many memories. Participating in educational excursions and getting to know the community we are living among. So far we have been to the pyramids in Teotihuacan, Tepoztlan, Bosque de los hongos azules, Cortes Museum, spiritual site in Amatlan, radio station IMRyT, Casa Tochan in CDMX and Bosque de Chapultepec. Part of the program is to hear guest speakers stories on their work and life experiences in their profession/ dedication. Excursions and guest speakers are both part of the learning experience because not only are we visiting and hearing educational stories, we are connecting everything back to our classes.

In the beginning of October we finished our five week Spanish course in which we had the opportunity to practice our Spanish skills daily, giving us the chance to improve and advance our native language or our second language. This allowed us to immerse ourselves and put ourselves out there by talking to street vendors, Mexican University students, professors etc. Since the beginning of the program we have been having weekly engagement activities with International House Cuernavaca (iHouse) students who live in Cuernavaca and others who are coming from different parts of Mexico. We have a ratio of four Augsburg students to nine iHouse students. During these weekly activities we have the chance to help each other build our confidence, us Augsburg students are helping iHouse with their English and iHouse students help us with our Spanish skills. Having this intercultural experience gave us new life long friendships.

In the month of September we had a four day rural seminar and homestay in the Nahua indigenous village in Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl so we could learn about the practices of the community. Being there we stayed with a host family who accepted us in their home. Every one of us practiced our Spanish, attended guest speakers and explored everything Amatlan had to offer. After this, we started our four week urban homestay with families living by Casa Augsburg. I am currently with a host family of two loving parents with their sweet ten year old daughter and their dog. My host family has been very supportive and caring towards me. We are about to reach the end of this homestay but there is still half of the semester left and I can’t wait to report back to everyone who is interested in studying abroad in Mexico. Me and my friends have been having such a great time and we are honored to be able to study and have fun in Mexico. Thank you to our professors, IRA, staff members, guides, guest speakers and our friends for making our study abroad an unforgettable experience!

• The Augsburg CGEE Mexico ambassador has been active on both TikTok and Instagram! Follow along @augsburgcgee on both platforms.

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Anthony. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”

I’m writing this four days before we have to go back to the states, but I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet how much I’m leaving behind. We’ve gotten to sit down and eat with the residents at Programa Casa de Refugiado, listening to those brave enough to share their migration stories. We’ve visited so many incredible community organizers, (including an entire activist family in the ravine where they lived and worked) to learn how they fought imperialism, capitalism, and environmental gentrification. We’ve gone to UNAM’s botanical gardens, beautiful landscapes, and traditional Milpa farms that compelled me to consider how food ends up on my plate in the states. No matter what we were studying, you could feel the level of care put in by every lecturer. The effort put into every excursion and exercise. Continue reading “Final Student Reflections: Mexico Spring 2026” →

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Anthony. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”

Our semester in Cuernavaca is about halfway done and I feel so grateful to be here. Whether it was witnessing the traditional Brincon at the annual Carnaval in Topostlan, hearing from traditional healers and community leaders of Amatlan, or sharing a meal with residents at the Casa Tochan migrant shelter in Mexico City, everywhere we’ve gone shown us another example of dedication, community, and joy as a form of shared resistance. Continue reading “Augsburg CGEE in Mexico: The Lived Experience [Student Reflection]” →

International Resident Assistant (“IRA”) in Mexico (Fellow), Fellowship Job Description for 2026-2027

Summary of Job Description:  The purpose of this one-year stipended fellowship is to help foster a healthy living/learning environment for semester students and participants in short-term educational seminars and to assist with the operation and promotion of CGEE-educational programs in Mexico.  The primary responsibilities of the fellow are to assist study abroad students (mostly coming from the U.S.A.) with medical and emotional issues and to help them develop intercultural and global competencies, as well as to assist in the operation of all educational programs. The IRA will also be expected to help produce social media content that can help promote these programs.

Continue reading “Now Hiring: International Resident Assistant (Mexico)” →

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Ariadna. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”

Final Reflection

This second half of the semester has been nothing short of eye-opening and grounded in collective care. Our excursions and conversations revealed different dimensions of struggle, identity, and resistance across Mexico City. We engaged with activists who discussed immigration patterns, community organizing, and efforts to protect vulnerable populations facing deportations, as well as speakers who addressed issues like state violence, the war on drugs, and social movements. Alongside these discussions, we encountered artists and cultural practitioners who shared their work and traditions, from Afro-descendant and Indigenous perspectives to feminist artistic expressions. Together, these experiences offered insights into how communities resist erasure, preserve memory, and assert identity, underscoring the transformative power of culture, activism, and collective care.

Coming from my perspective as a first-generation Mexican-American, these experiences resonated deeply. I saw connections between the struggles and resilience of communities in Mexico and the challenges faced by Mexican and Latinx communities in the United States, including my own family’s experiences with migration and systemic barriers. The focus on collective care, how communities support one another, preserve culture, and resist oppression, helped me understand that these struggles are not individual but shared, and that solidarity and mutual support are vital to survival and empowerment. Witnessing these forms of care and resistance firsthand expanded my sense of responsibility to my own community and strengthened my appreciation for the ways identity, memory, and culture are preserved across borders and generations.

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Ariadna. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”

We’re a little over halfway through the semester abroad here in Cuernavaca, and it has been nothing short of welcoming and warm. We’ve already visited so many places like Mexico City, Amatlán, and Tepoztlán, which have all been incredibly insightful. Each place has shown how different communities are united by the same goals of resistance, preserving their identities and those of their ancestors, and fighting for social justice.

Many of the topics we’ve explored include immigration, hearing people’s migration stories, learning about immigration in Mexico from other Latin American countries, and understanding what U.S. immigration policies look like, as well as LGBTTTQ+ visibility and feminicides in Mexico. It’s very powerful to hear these stories directly from the people who lived them because there is nothing more impactful than hearing their emotions, their memories, and how these experiences continue to shape their lives.

The stories about immigration especially resonate with me, coming from a Mexican household where both of my parents migrated to the U.S. at a very young age. It reminds me of the sacrifices they made so that I could have opportunities they didn’t, and hearing other people’s experiences gives me a deeper understanding of what that journey truly means. It’s easy to get caught in mindsets that limit how we see the world, but listening to the struggles, reasoning, and resilience of others and seeing how often they are treated as less than human really changes one’s perspective. These experiences have made me reflect more on my own family’s history and the challenges faced by many migrants who continue to seek better lives. Overall, this experience has made me feel even more proud of my intersecting identities and has helped me reconnect with my roots in a much deeper and more personal way.

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Alyssa. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”

Interdisciplinary Educational Week in México City

The week after our Spring Break we had an interdisciplinary educational week in Mexico City. Being so close to CDMX is one of the advantages of Cuernavaca! On Monday we started our week with a tour of the beautiful UNAM where we even got to visit the Olympic Stadium! Continue reading “Student Blog: Week in México City” →

This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Alyssa. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”

We are almost a month into our programming and I have been taking some time to reflect on our experiences thus far. When I was applying to study abroad, I was looking at all the programs available to me. Augsburg in México immediately stood out to me. My initial hesitation was why chose a program in a country that I have been to already, so many people were urging me to choose a European program. I am Mexican-American and had visited México before but upon further research I knew this was the program for me.

I am double majoring in International Studies and Spanish with a concentration in migration studies. This program has been perfect for me, giving me so many beneficial opportunities. I get to not only take Spanish classes that are making me feel more confident in my speaking skills, but the classes are also teaching me about my ancestry and México’s history. Alongside my Spanish classes I get to take an immigration class learning about migration policies between the U.S. and México.

The hospitality we’ve been shown has been so welcoming and I am so thankful for it. The staff here in Cuernavaca is amazing and we have already created so many memories! Every speaker has been so insightful and these “oral texts” have become such important learning experiences for us. Our first weekend we had an excursion to the pyramids of Xochicalco and then as students we planned an excursion for ourselves to Ciudad de México! It has been an amazing month and I am looking forward to what’s come! For those who are applying to study abroad programs, look into Latin America :)!

International Resident Assistant (“IRA”) in Mexico (Fellow), Fellowship Job Description for 2024-2025

Summary of Job Description:  The purpose of this one-year stipend fellowship is to promote a healthy living/learning environment for semester students and participants in short-term educational seminars at Augsburg CGEE in Mexico.  In addition, the primary responsibilities of the fellow are to assist study abroad students (mostly coming from the U.S.A.) with medical and emotional issues and to help them develop intercultural and global competencies, as well as to assist in the operation of all educational programs. The IRA will also be expected to produce social media that can help promote these programs and help with administrative tasks.

Length and dates of this stipend fellowship position: *August 15, 2024 – August 21, 2025 (*The starting and ending dates are slightly flexible.)

Continue reading “Now Hiring: Resident Assistant (Mexico)” →