I started off my UMass career as an Undecided major in the SBS track. Before that, while I was applying to colleges I wanted to study fashion, so I was applying to schools that offered that major. I was looking for big universities that offered fashion and had that traditional college experience feel. I ended up at UMass Amherst, not because it was my top choice, but it was just how things came together. So after my first semester freshman year I decided to major in Spanish and was thinking about Communication as well, but I wasn’t really sure. Still, I wanted to also incorporate a fashion major into my college career. I heard about the BDIC program (build your own major) but I wasn’t sure if it was for me, because I’ve never heard of anything like it before and didn’t know anyone that had done it. It wasn’t until I rushed a sorority and talked to a couple older girls that I learned they also created their own fashion majors. That inspired me to do the same. So sophomore year I signed up for BDIC and created my own Fashion Marketing major. Come senior year and going into my final semester I am so thankful that I studied those two majors.

Being a Spanish major is intimidating because it’s not something that you have a direct career path in, like Nursing or Marketing. It really is whatever you want to make of it. I chose Spanish because I was really interested in the language and wanted to continue studying it. Being a Spanish major has really taught me how diverse the language is, more insight to how the world works, and how to communicate with different people. I do feel more knowledgable in the communicative and cultural sense compared to my peers who aren’t a Spanish major or have had the experiences I have. I say this because I grew up bilingual and have been exposed to so many cultures, so I am more open and “in touch” with the world. I think the main difference between for example, very generally speaking, people in STEM, people in Isenberg, and people in Spanish, is how we approach the world, see the world and people. I feel prepared as a citizen of the world because I feel like my experiences, and the people I met have really added to that. I feel nervous about graduating and moving onto the next step in my life because of these Covid times, but I believe that my timing will be right and I will achieve those goals eventually, even if right now isn’t the time.

I ultimately want a career that allows me to travel, be creative, work in fashion, and work with different people and different cultures. I don’t really know the exact career path or title I want, but I’m not worried because I have time. After graduation I plan to teach English abroad in Spain for a year because I want to leave the States and live abroad, basically. If anything 2020 has taught me is that you need to appreciate everything, not take anything for granted, and seek out opportunities because you never know when life and what is the norm can be taken away. 2020 was definitely the best worst year. It really has taught me so much that I couldn’t learn in school. A lot of personal growth, journaling, manifesting, believing in yourself and the Universe, and to be thankful and appreciative for everything and everyone.