Since my sophomore year when I decided to pursue a dual degree, I have been asking both myself and others, “Does a dual degree really even matter?” and I’m going to tell you right now, before you read this whole thing, that the question is not “Does it really matter?” but “Does it matter to you?” 

You see, before my freshman year of college, my mom and I discussed that I would try to graduate early, so that when my brother went into his freshman year of college, my parents would be able to afford it. Since I am the oldest of four children, where and how long I decided to go to college not only depended on my own desires, but those of my siblings. However, my sophomore year I discovered that since I took so many credits each semester, it was perfectly possible for me to graduate in four years with two bachelor’s degrees if I kept up the heavy workload. I immediately sold my parents on the idea and began my dual degrees in Linguistics and Spanish. And you know what? It’s been a lot of work. My semesters are hard and they always have been, but I felt like I was working towards something great. That was, until I listened to what other people had to say. Eventually, my mom seemed to decide that a dual degree didn’t matter all that much and she told me I should have just graduated early when I had the chance. At the end of my junior year, she asked me “Are you sure it’s not too late to just graduate?” My partner’s mom, some friends, family, and professors, all told me at one point or another that my dual degree didn’t really matter that much. I didn’t understand why no one else seemed to understand how much work I had put into these degrees. And so I have spent many months filled with guilt that I decided to work towards something that “didn’t matter.” That is, until recently, when I finally realized why people have been telling me that my dual degree doesn’t matter. 

When I tell people that I’m doing a dual degree, they think I’m boasting that I’m working towards these two pieces of paper; two frames I can hang behind my desk at some office and say “Hey, look at these.” Right? Because that’s why most people do things, so that they can show others their worth based on merit. And if that is what they hear then, yes, they’re right, it doesn’t matter. But I’m certainly not doing all of this work to hang two pieces of paper on a wall. I’m getting a dual degree because I want to push myself past what is expected of me. I want to combine two disciplines in the time it takes someone to learn one. I want to work hard because that’s what I was taught to do. When I was little my dad told me, “School is only ever going to be what you make of it.” So that’s what I’m doing; I’m making something of it. It has been through my dual degree that I discovered my love for translation and interpreting. It’s how I realized that I might actually be able to help someone with my degree. It’s how I realized that I find joy in learning. I did not come here to work day and night for four years just to leave and never use what I’ve learned. I work hard because I want it to count and I want my dual degree to matter. And so, it does. 

It matters not because of the two pieces of paper I will receive, nor because I paid a lot of money, nor because it has some fancy guy’s signature, but because of the time and effort I have put into every class that I’ve taken and because I refuse to value myself based on the “awards” given to me by the institutions I have worked within. So, if I go on to get my masters, it will not be to show you that I have any more worth, merit, or value than anyone else. And if I end up continuing on to my doctorate, it will not be because I need to be called Dr. alongside my maiden name or because I need to demonstrate my superiority over others. It will be because I wanted to push myself to learn, grow, and create some sort of change before I leave this Earth. We put so much value into what we do, that it doesn’t even matter who we are, who we help, or who we serve. No one gets a medal for raising four children all on their own, or surviving their childhood of abuse, or crossing the borders of a country that hates them with nothing but the clothes on their back. No one gets a medal for surviving, but we give out medals for thriving. A little backwards, isn’t it? Who you are doesn’t seem to matter anymore. But just because it doesn’t matter to anyone else, doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter to me. So, the answer to the question is: yes, my dual degree matters to me, and whether or not it matters to you, that’s the part that doesn’t matter to me.