From Cairo and Chicago to Barcelona: Alex and Quentin on Friendship, Creativity, and Independence
Studying at GBSB Global in Barcelona has brought new friendships and opportunities to collaborate for 21-year-old Alex and 22-year-old Quentin Jones. It has also given them the responsibility of building a life away from home.
In the third episode of the GBSB Global Podcast, the two students discuss what brought them to Barcelona, how they became friends, and how they balance their studies with work and personal interests.
Two Different Routes to Barcelona
Alex was born in California and raised in Cairo. He attended Arizona State University before moving to Barcelona. Basketball initially drew him to Arizona. When a planned transfer to New York did not work out, he began considering other destinations.
After spending time in Paris, he visited Barcelona and found a city that suited him.
“I love the lifestyle here. I love the people here,” he says.
For Alex, Barcelona’s appeal lies in the variety of experiences it offers. Sports, social activities, and quieter routines can coexist, providing people with different interests with the space they need to find their place.
Quentin grew up in Chicago and attended university there for two years. His first encounter with Barcelona came during a family vacation, which left him looking for a reason to return.
A semester abroad provided that opportunity. After four months in the city, he decided to extend his stay.
“I decided that I needed to transfer full-time,” he recalls.
What began as a temporary experience became a new direction for his education and daily life.
Finding Their Place at GBSB Global
Both students emphasize the people when describing their experience at GBSB Global.
Alex remembers a welcoming campus visit and approachable admissions staff. Coming from a much larger university, he found that personal connections helped him enjoy his new student environment.
Quentin highlights the support he received during his transfer. His admissions officer regularly checked in with him, answered his questions, and helped him navigate the credit transfer process. He subsequently joined a combination of first- and second-year classes.
“The whole transfer process was seamless,” he says.
Once at GBSB Global, he and his admissions officer found ways to participate in student life. Quentin played on the school’s soccer team and enjoyed the competitive league and his teammates’ enthusiasm. Alex contributed content to the GBSB Global Life Instagram account, incorporating his creative interests into the campus community.
Friendship Turned Creative Collaboration
Alex and Quentin became friends through people they met at school. They gradually grew closer through time spent talking, watching movies, and sharing experiences.
As they learned more about each other’s backgrounds, they received invitations to visit Chicago and Egypt. Their friendship reflects an aspect of international student life that they both value: connections formed in one city can extend across countries.
Their shared interests also led them to work together.
Alex gained experience in marketing and content creation at a clothing showroom in Egypt before transitioning to freelance work for various brands. In the podcast, Alex describes a business model focused on producing content in Spain for Egyptian clothing brands.
Quentin, a model, sometimes collaborates with Alex on these projects.
Alex explains that working with friends makes the experience more enjoyable and helps him connect with models for shoots. Barcelona provides the setting for his content, and he is exploring different locations as he develops his work.
Learning to Balance Ambition and Everyday Life
Alex candidly discusses the difficulty of balancing studies, freelance work, and exercise. Finding a sustainable balance is something he is still working on.
He has moved away from an all-or-nothing approach and now recognizes that putting all his energy into one activity makes it harder to manage other responsibilities. Instead, he aims to build consistency.
His belief that small daily efforts accumulate over time resonates with Quentin, who also values improving a little each day.
Their conversation makes clear that pursuing an ambition involves more than just enthusiasm. It also requires learning how to organize time, maintain habits, and persevere.
Taking Responsibility Away from Home
For both students, independence is an important part of the experience.
They discuss the practical responsibilities of living abroad, such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, getting up for class, and managing work. Without family nearby to organize daily life, they must take ownership themselves.
For Quentin, that distance was part of the motivation to move. He wanted to experience handling situations independently and accepting responsibility for his decisions.
At 21 and 22 years old, Alex and Quentin are still discovering how their studies, interests, and ambitions fit together. At GBSB Global in Barcelona, they have found a community in which to do so—and a friendship that connects their everyday lives with opportunities to create and work together.
Watch Alex and Quentin’s conversation on the GBSB Global Podcast.