If you’re a Spanish major you’re likely familiar with the question, “Oh, so are you going to teach or interpret?” In fact, you may have been asked that question so many times that you start to believe teaching and interpreting are your only options. My focus started to narrow to interpreting or teaching just a few weeks into starting college, largely because of this question. By the end of my second semester, I had decided on medical interpreting and enrolled in Spanish interpreting classes. Interpreting seemed like a good option given the current job market and average salary but at the same time, I just wasn’t sold. While I find the level of skill and language proficiency of interpreters admirable, I could tell it wasn’t the professional field for me. I also already knew I had no interest in being a teacher so I was left feeling like my choice in major was pointless.

I began looking at changing my major at the beginning of Spanish 394, however the class really pushed me to look at how I could connect Spanish with other degrees, certificates, and personal interests. For me this meant working with kids, and other areas of study (namely linguistics and psychology). I eventually found my way to the Communication Disorders major after quite a few weeks. I realized the combination of majors would allow me to work with kids the majority of time and I could take some Spanish and English linguistics classes. It’s definitely going to be a much better fit than just a Spanish degree. I may also pursue the Spanish and Health certificate if I have time because it would bring my two degrees together.

I would urge anyone who is beginning to develop a love-hate relationship with their major to look outside their department and at other certificates. Because Spanish is so prevalent in the U.S. and there’s so many career opportunities, I think it is even more important to try to connect personal interests and goals with academic pursuits. Realizing this made me appreciate the freedom the Spanish major offers rather than feeling like I was confined to being one of two professions. I am intending to pursue Speech-Language Pathology with the goal of working with bilingual children and/or children with autism from a Spanish-speaking home. There’s a desperate need for Spanish-speaking health professionals and I feel I will be entering a field where I will both be useful and able to make a difference in the local Latino community.

Bottom line: The Spanish major is versatile! Go do something you love with it! Write children’s book, be journalist, study law, go be a social worker. Instead of just working for the Spanish degree, make it work for you, too. This may seem like very obvious information but I was feeling lost before I really sat down and considered all of the doors the Spanish degree opens. It’s very easy to feel stuck on one track and college is expensive so if you don’t get everything you want out of it, then what’s the point?