Over the course of studying as a Spanish major, my perception of the major has greatly changed. I first decided to become a Spanish major as a means to an end: I wanted to complete a bachelor’s degree program and improve my Spanish skills to make myself more competitive in the fire department hiring process. I also wanted to improve my Spanish language skills because I have been able to travel to Spain many times and improving my language skills would allow me to better communicate with my friends in Spain. I had a passing interest in Spanish culture, but my main reason for choosing Spanish as my major was to improve my language skills and my career prospects.

However, studying as a Spanish major has broadened my cultural horizons in ways that will impact both my professional and personal life. Studying Spanish and especially Latin-American history, literature and culture has given me a much better understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. When I first started my studies, I didn’t have much knowledge or interest of the culture and civilization of Latin America. While I hoped to improve my Spanish skills to better communicate with Spanish speakers in America, I didn’t think about the importance of learning about the Latino culture in America. Even though I’m from Florida, the Tampa Bay area doesn’t have the high concentration of Latinos that southern Florida does, so Latin American culture wasn’t something that I was exposed to growing up. Learning about the history, culture, and civilization of Latin America has impacted me in multiple ways. First, I developed an interest in Latin America. Now that I have a base of knowledge about Latin American history, literature, and culture, I want to learn more. I also now have a great interest in traveling to South or Central America in the future if I get the opportunity.

Learning about Latin American culture will also be very helpful in my career. I hope to work as a firefighter in an urban area, which means I will likely be serving a diverse community that includes Latinos. Just this semester I took a class on Spanish medical translation, which not only increased my vocabulary to include relevant medical knowledge, but also educated me on issues presently affecting the Latino community, particularly health care disparities and how perceptions of race affect health care. A base of knowledge in Latin American culture and issues both in and out of the United States will allow me to better relate to the population I serve.

Overall my perspective on my major was originally very one dimensional at the beginning of my course of study, but I believe I have developed a deeper cultural understanding over the course of studying for a Spanish major.