Mary Ball Markow of Jackson, who spent a month this summer enrolled at the University of Cadiz in Spain, stops at an overlook to view the city of Cadiz and the Atlantic coastline.
OXFORD, Miss. – Summer vacation proved productive for University of Mississippi senior Mary Ball Markow of Jackson, who spent a month studying and traveling in Spain. She returns to campus this fall conversational in Spanish and with a broadened understanding of the country’s culture.
Markow was enrolled at the University of Cadiz, earning credit toward her UM degree. A member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, she was awarded an honors college fellowship to help cover travel expenses.
“One major highlight of my experience was living with my host family,” she said. “I enjoyed getting to know not only my host parents but also their daughter and small grandson. The dinner-table conversations ranged from political views to explanations of family traditions. They also helped me explore cultural foods, from Spanish tortilla to gazpacho.”
While her Cadiz classes were similar to those at UM in size and teaching style, a difference was that “the classroom extended far past the doors of the university,” she said.
“We were able to learn about an architectural style one day and go see it another; we were able to immerse ourselves in the culture we were studying. In addition, I explored other areas of Spain on weekends and learned more about the art and other things we discussed in the classroom. It also helped me develop a deeper appreciation for my own culture.”
Markow spent a similar study in Venice, Italy during Wintersession 2012.
“We read ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ studied it in the classroom, and then were able to walk around Shylock’s ghetto,” she said. “We also visited the settings of other literature that we studied. It was an experience that I will never forget.”
Markow is majoring in English in the College of Liberal Arts, with minors in Spanish, biology and chemistry. She plans to enroll in medical school following May graduation. She says the university is preparing her well for the future.
“Ole Miss has helped me grow as a student, while helping me gain leadership skills and a passion for service,” she said. “The Honors College has been the highlight of my experience; I have enjoyed the academic opportunities that it has provided, and I have learned the meaning of citizen-scholar. Its Community Action Component has taught me to use classroom lessons to give back to the community.”
A Newman Scholar, Markow has served as the Honors College student director and ambassador, on the Student Alumni Council and on the board of directors of the yearlong UM fundraiser RebelTHON. Listed on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll, she is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the university’s highest academic honor across all disciplines, and she belongs to the academic and leadership honor societies of Order of Omega and Omicron Delta Kappa.
A graduate of Jackson Preparatory School, she is the daughter of Greg and Mary Ball Markow.
For more information about study abroad opportunities at UM, visit http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/study_abroad/. To learn more about the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, visit http://www.honors.olemiss.edu/.