What has pursuing a Spanish degree done for me?
Jobs I am considering after graduating: health care translator, bilingual pre-school teacher, homeless shelter translator, Spanish teacher, immigration researcher at Human Rights Watch; to name a few. To say that pursuing a Spanish degree has expanded my opportunities is an understatement.
Over the past four years, I have had the privilege of studying under passionate, relentlessly caring, and brilliant professors who have emboldened me to defy my limitations. I never dreamed of being bilingual, never related with my high school peers who parroted back vocabulary with seemingly photographic memories, and never thought learning a language could bring such personal growth and confidence. Yet, I am currently writing this in a CafeterÃa in VitorÃa-Gasteiz, Spain, feeling empowered by the new world I have access to.
In a time of excess options, FOMO, and social media, many young people like myself struggle to put into practice the hope and power we bring to the world. For me, a Spanish degree has provided the practical ability to engage new populations, leave university with a tangible skill, and become incredibly hirable. This process has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have embarked on, and definitely not finished. (Hopefully I never will!) If you have even the slightest curiosity in seeing what your mind is capable of, nerding out about how strange grammar is, or meeting the 400 million people on the planet who speak Spanish, a language degree is a great place to start.