Donaghey Scholar Journeys to Valencia to Hone Spanish Skills for Future Medical Career

Dedicated to enhancing her future medical career, Ragen Hodge, a Donaghey Scholar at UA Little Rock, embarked on an enriching study abroad experience to Valencia, Spain, where she immersed herself in the language and culture to improve her Spanish skills.

Once she graduates in May 2026, Hodge, a junior biology major with a pre-med focus, plans to attend medical school. In the meantime, she is doing everything possible to prepare herself for a future medical career, including learning Spanish. Hodge thinks this is important as Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in Arkansas and feels she will have many patients that will speak the language.

“I was taking Spanish classes at the University of Valencia,” Hodge said. “The classes were really fun. I am working on my Spanish minor because I feel that would be very important as a future healthcare professional. I want to connect with all kinds of patients.”

Hodge spent five weeks studying in Spain this summer. She remembers the first two weeks being the hardest since she couldn’t understand everything that was being said in her classes.

“The first couple of weeks were really intense,” she recalled. “Afterwards, I was blown away that I learned so much Spanish. I realized that I could understand my classes where no English was being spoken. My Spanish has improved 100% on this trip.”

While studying in Spain, Hodge stayed with a host family, a mother and daughter, Maria Jose Sancho Celda and Mirella Orero, who have grown to be like family.

“It was pretty exciting to feel loved and have a home on the other side of the world,” Hodge said. “The daughter was just a couple of years younger than me, and she would take me to all of her favorite places and show me the city from a local’s perspective. The location of our apartment was perfect as it was a 10-minute walk from the beach so I could keep up with my workouts and go have fun.”

Keeping up with her workouts is important as the Bartlesville, Oklahoma, native is also a member of the women’s track and field team at UA Little Rock. She even had the opportunity to visit one of her fellow student-athletes in her hometown of Monte Urano, Italy.

Hodge described her study abroad experience as “the trip of a lifetime” and even had an experience that brought her reason for studying Spanish full circle.

“During the second week I was there, I got really sick and had to go to the doctor,” Hodge said. “I got to experience what it was like to receive healthcare when not speaking the main language and without understanding everything the doctor said. My goal is to one day be a doctor who can treat patients who don’t understand my primary language. I hope I will remember this experience, and it will help me better serve patients in the future. I think this experience will shape the kind of doctor I will one day become.”