Spending a semester in Barcelona, Spain, pushed Alan Codner ’18 out of his comfort zone—and he recorded it all in a web comic.

“The comic became about my own experience being an introvert in a foreign place and how I navigated various encounters with Spanish culture. I wanted the comic to work as something of a ‘how to’ guide for people who are shy and nervous about being in a new place,” says Codner, who titled his web comic blog “Estoy En.”

“The narrative that I struck upon most was how to get out and experience new things when all your instincts tell you to stay in,” he adds.

Codner is majoring in creative writing and minoring in both Spanish and studio art. He’s also a member of the honors program.

“I love how our program teaches students to broaden their horizons. There’s a real focus on multicultural traditions and diverse perspectives in almost every class we take. It’s what a college education should be,” he says.

After graduation, he would like to continue publishing comics through independent presses and building his body of work.