How I Spent My Summer: Accounting Professor Becomes Spanish Student and Hikes to See Volcano

By Kennedy Berry ’27

“Knowledge is the one thing that you can invest in that nobody can ever take away from you.”

That’s how Professor Kurt Lykins sums up not just his summer, but his entire approach to life and learning.

When the academic year ends, Lykins trades the role of teacher to become a student. This summer, the Otterbein Accounting professor traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, for a weeklong Spanish immersion program. It wasn’t for course credit or any certifications; it was about cultural experience. And it wasn’t his first time; he embarked on a similar journey last year in Cartegena, Colombia.

“I’ve kind of lived that life, continuing to seek out new opportunities, new ways to learn, new cultures to understand,” Lykins said.

The program paired him with a private tutor for four hours a day of one-on-one instruction. He also took it upon his self to stay with a host family who only spoke Spanish. It was demanding but rewarding.

“You don’t get a break,” he said. “It’s not like a classroom where the teacher asks general questions. When it’s just you and the tutor, you’re on the whole time. But it was exactly what I needed.”

Lykins also gave himself more time to explore than he had during his previous trip. Before classes began, he and a few friends hiked 14,000 feet to a hut on a mountain, and from there got to see a volcano erupt just a mile away.

“I think that’s part of the learning experience, too,” he said. “Not just the language.”

Immersive learning is nothing new for Lykins. He has traveled to 57 countries, each one giving him a deeper appreciation for different cultures and ways of living.

He says his Spanish is still a work in progress, “It stinks,” he joked. However, the knowledge he has gained on every excursion is something no one will ever be able to take away from him.