In my time at UMass, I have always been advised by professors and advisors to aim to complete three internships during my time at the university. Although there are plenty of resources to find jobs, I still have had a difficult time finding internships and jobs, especially ones that would allow me to use and practice my Spanish.

During my sophomore year, a classmate of mine in the Integrative Experience class told us all about his time as a Spanish-English interpreter for the Amherst Regional Public Schools district. The job sounded amazing: work in a school, work locally, and use my Spanish.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher, but once it came time to go to college, I did not feel ready to concretely decide on being a teacher, so I did not major in education. By majoring in Spanish and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, I felt I would learn invaluable skills and information while also giving myself more time to decide if I wanted to be a teacher.

At the beginning of my Junior year, I applied to be an interpreter. I knew that the job would be great test-drive of working in a school, and I knew I would be able to practice my Spanish. Going in, I was hoping to work in an elementary or middle school, but I told the interpreter coordinator that I would happily accept a placement in the high school if that was where they could use me the most.

After the application process, an interview and a training session, I was placed in a math class and in an ecology class at the high school. In the math class, I work one on one with a student and in the ecology class, myself and another interpreter work with three students altogether. I had been worried that the age gap between myself and high school students would be too small, but after work began I realized that was not the case; the students are much younger than me, and after being back in a high school, I realized how much I have changed and grown since my own time in high school.

Something challenging about the job is knowing just how much help to give. There is a fine balance between interpreting and tutoring. I am still figuring this out, but I can tell my work has been improving over the past semester.

My favorite part of the job is just being with the students. I love when we work together to make sense of a new concept and the students seem genuinely engaged in their learning. It is also rewarding and fun when the students laugh at one of my nerdy jokes. Since I really enjoy working and being in the high school, I have a better insight into whether or not I’d like to teach in the future.

I would recommend this job to anyone who enjoys working with kids or in schools. It is a great way to be a member of the Amherst community and you will be able to improve and practice your Spanish, as well as gain skills that come with working in a professional setting.