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Lindsey Wilson University Student Emma Couch Broadens Her Academic Horizons in Europe

Couch's summer of study abroad includes an immersive program in England, two classes at University of Madrid.

COLUMBIA, Ky. (07/25/2025) — Lindsey Wilson University student Emma Couch '27 got to see and study part of Europe this summer.

Couch started her summer in Grantham, England, where she was one of 15 Lindsey Wilson students selected to take part in an immersive study-abroad program at Harlaxton College. During their nine days there, the Lindsey Wilson students visited the historic cities of London, Lincoln, York and Cambridge while based at Harlaxton.

Then Couch headed south to study for six weeks in a study-abroad program at the University of Madrid. Couch took a course on the history of the Spanish capital as well as a Spanish course.

"It's a beautiful city. It was just amazing," said Couch, who is a psychology and Spanish double major. "I don't know how else to put it. It was just wonderful."

It was the first time that Couch, who is a Kentucky native, traveled outside of the United States. While taking classes at the University of Madrid alongside students from other U.S. schools such as Yale University and the University of Michigan, Couch lived in the picturesque and historic La Latina neighborhood of the 1,600-year-old city.

"I lived in Nicholasville, Kentucky, for 12 years and then London up until I came to Lindsey Wilson," said Couch, who is a 2023 graduate of North Laurel High School. "So it was really nice to be able to explore and see new things for myself."

Couch said that she didn't have much trouble navigating the European city, which has a population of about 3.2 million people, or about 70% of the total population of Kentucky.

"A lot of people have been asking me what my favorite thing about the trip was, and I always tell them the public transportation," Couch said. "I just really loved that I could do whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do it. That feeling of independence is just amazing, especially in a place where there are so many opportunities to do what you want to do."

Couch hopes to visit Spain again, but perhaps next time it will be as a working professional. Her career plans include becoming a therapist or working as a researcher with Spanish-speaking populations, and Spain is one of the countries where she would like to work and live.

"Mental health discussions here are different than they are in Spain, Mexico or in other Spanish-speaking countries," she said. "It's just a very different climate surrounding those issues. I'd like to be someone that can help open up the conversation about mental health."

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

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Lindsey Wilson University student Emma Couch ’27 of London, Kentucky, spent six weeks in Madrid, studying history and Spanish at the University of Madrid.

Lindsey Wilson University student Emma Couch ’27 of London, Kentucky, started her summer in an immersive study-abroad program at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England, then spent six weeks studying history and Spanish at the University of Madrid.

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