Maria Mutis-Ruiz

While most students spend their senior year trying to figure out where in the United States they’re going to like living for four years, Maria Mutis-Ruiz was trying to figure out where in Europe she was going to go.

Earlier this year, she decided that she was going to go to Madrid, Spain, to attend school. This decision was largely because she already knows the language, in addition to her wanting to “try living in a different culture,” Mutis-Ruiz explained.

Before moving to Libertyville in the beginning of her junior year, Mutis-Ruiz lived in Colombia, where she was born. This has made her aware of what it is like to move into a new culture and will likely aid her transition into the new culture.
Even though she has already lived in another country before, Mutis-Ruiz said, “I’m kind of scared because I’ll be alone in a country, where I don’t know anyone.” Despite this, she believes that it will be a fun experience.

When she is in Madrid, Mutis-Ruiz is not quite sure where she will attend school yet. “I’m planning to start in September, when they start classes there. But it depends on the schools and if I get accepted,” she explained.