Surprising to most people, growing up in a Latino household, I never wanted to speak Spanish with my family. I think it was a matter of my shyness but also a lack of confidence when it came to accepting my culture. Although I never spoke Spanish at home, I began taking Spanish classes in 7th grade. All throughout my school career, Spanish was a class I always excelled in. It was where I felt most comfortable and where I would begin the process of appreciating this beautiful language. I had the most confidence in my listening skills. I could always understand everything my teachers would say in my advanced classes because I would hear my parents speak Spanish on a daily basis. However, when it came down to actually speaking Spanish, I felt like I was missing self-confidence and the native accent of someone more fluent.

As I continued taking Spanish throughout high school, I developed more of a passion for the language and culture. I always looked forward to Spanish class, and in some ways, I felt like it didn’t require that much effort, in the sense that what I was learning came naturally to me. My junior year of high school, I was given the opportunity to travel abroad to Cuernavaca, Mexico through my school for two weeks. Those two weeks changed my life in ways that have ultimately led me to become a Spanish major here at UMass.

While in Mexico, I stayed with a host family, who I came to know as the some of the warmest and welcoming people I’ve had the privilege to meet. This was my first experience traveling to a different country, yet I felt like I was at home. Not only was my host family amazing, but I met so many more incredible people during my trip. Myself along with the 20 other classmates also studied at the local language institute, where we were placed in different classes based on our level of Spanish. The teachers I was fortunate enough to have truly had a passion for teaching and showed a real interest in helping us all to learn not only about the language but the culture as well. The school even offered “intercambios”, which was my favorite part. The local students that were learning English at the school would get paired with us native English speakers, and we would spend half the conversation speaking Spanish and the other half in English.

Among so many other things I got to experience and learn while in Mexico, the main take away I got out of the trip was to not take this language and culture for granted. I felt so fulfilled being able to use my knowledge of Spanish to be able to communicate with a new group of people. Although I’m not Mexican, the trip helped me to feel a deeper connection to my culture and a much greater appreciation for being Latina.

I strongly encourage anyone on the fence about being a Spanish major (or minor) to just do it. Spanish is so widely spoken not only around the world but right in here in the United States as well. No matter what career path you decide to pursue, I’m positive that having the ability to speak Spanish will come in handy in one way or another. Being a Spanish major can lead you into a variety of career choices. Although I have gone back and forth on many possible career paths, I know with certainty that using Spanish is something I will take pride in, no matter what I end up doing with my life.