Even though I’ve been learning Spanish since I could talk, I still decided to make it a part of my major here at UMass Amherst. I know what you must be thinking, this girl is looking for an easy route through college. At least that’s what some people’s opinions are. But that’s not all I do. I also study political science. Even if I only studied Spanish, I don’t think it’s fair to invalidate people’s accomplishments based on just one factor. I may not struggle with grammar or with pronunciation, but if you are studying a language at the college level then one is expected to already have some sort of background in it. Regardless, I have never personally heard of an English major being asked why they are majoring in English if they already speak it. Perspective is everything.

I originally thought that I’d only do a Spanish minor because I, too, thought it was pointless and unfair of me to get a degree in it. Because of that, I went into it not disclosing my background which to me is sad. No one should ever have to hide anything of themselves in order to accommodate other people’s feelings. But to my surprise, I was never met with any backlash. As a matter of fact, I became aware that Spanish majors come from all different kinds of backgrounds. That gave me a sense of belonging. Furthermore, I’m very passionate about the shift in Spanish usage and influence in the United States so I would like to incorporate that in my professional career. To put it simply, my goal is to be in a mainly political science field while also including my Spanish background.

Although I do think that studying a language, especially the second most used language in the world, is a great pathway, I am only using it as a means to further help me define my future. Frankly, political science is my true interest. This doesn’t mean Spanish is any less important to me. But over the years I have learned to make the most  out of my college experience. So why not obtain two degrees at once? My ultimate dream has always been to go to law school. I’ve never been brave enough to take a hard step in that direction because it is not an easy route. I’m also a person that doesn’t like speaking about things before I do them. But before I make that decision, I want to be one hundred percent sure. And it’s not a matter of self doubt, because if I put my mind to something, I always find a way. Law school is difficult, time consuming, and very expensive. I don’t want to go into something and not finish it. But I enjoy studying how our government works and most importantly, I want to learn how things can be changed. I would also be lying if I didn’t say there’s a sense of vanity that’s in the back of my head. Hispanic women only make up less than five percent of attorney’s in the United States. I would be contributing to that statistic and that would be an indescribable feeling.