Service Learning/Internships
Eleni: If I hadn’t done the service learning experience at Holyoke I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with students and go out of my comfort zone. I wouldn’t have furthered my passion for wanting to teach in the future. The students and staff made it a pleasure being there and I made some great connections. I would do it all over again if I had the time.
Tim: My internship experiences have been essential to my transition from college student to a person in the real world. Any position that I have held has helped in planning for my future: figuring out what I like, the environment that I want to work in, and how to conduct myself in a workplace. I can’t recommend enough an internship through UMASS, and you will be able to find some amazing opportunities.
Joanna: Service learning is an important part of being a Spanish major, and Multicultural Education 377 offers a chance to volunteer in Holyoke. It’s an eye-opening experience, especially in combining the course material with working in the Puerto Rican community nearby. If you have any interest in a career within the Latin@ community, take a service learning course!
Pegeen: Before this year, I had never done any service learning or internships, partly because I didn’t even know that those types of opportunities existed. However, for the licensure program, we have to take a seminar about the work of a MS/HS teacher and one of the components of the class is volunteering as a tutor in some of the local schools and after school groups. I chose Homework House in Holyoke, and I can honestly say that it has been the single best part of my Spanish major experience. Working with the kids is amazing. They’re always really excited to see the tutors, they’re playful, bright, and really find it so cool that a “grown up” from college is choosing to spend time with them. Over the course of the semester, going to Homework House has become the highlight of my week, and I always look forward to Fridays because I get the chance to spend a couple hours with the kids.
Andrew: I’ve always been interested in translation, so my sophomore year I stopped by the Translation Center at UMass (Herter basement) and asked if they had any internship/job opportunities. I worked there for my second half of sophomore year and I still work there currently (I was abroad for all of junior year). A lot of it has been small tasks and English transcriptions, but I’ve learned a ton about working in a translation agency – rates/pricing, contact with clients, etc. I’ve also been doing a lot more Spanish to English translating recently, and I’ve even done some Portuguese and French to English for them. Separately, I sent a couple emails out to a few agencies in Spain, and now consistently work with a company in Figueras as a freelance.
Class Recommendations
Eleni: Any class with Luis Marentes is a class worth taking. He is inspiring and makes sure you get a good grade. Also, Christina Beaubien’s Junior Year Writing was one of my favorites. It was a lot of writing, but she made it enjoyable and she brings cookies on exam and presentation days. Who doesn’t like cookies?
Tim: Political Science 121, taught by Vincent Ferraro, is one of my favorite classes at UMASS. It helped me realize the importance of staying in touch with world news. I would also recommend taking History 397: Environmental History of Latin America. It is very relevant to any Spanish and Portuguese major, and provides clarity on the history of landscape alteration in the Americas.
Kadeem: I would encourage everyone to take classes that raise your awareness about what’s going on around you. It’s so easy to get carried away with your studies and Spanish fun that you end up putting yourself into a little bubble and not know what’s happening in society. I would recommend taking a communications class with Kimberlee Perez as she focuses on many of these issues in a nontraditional classroom setting. I would also suggest taking a literature class with Emma RIvera because she’s so passionate about what she’s teaching that even if you’re not into literature, you’ll enjoy her class.
Avery: I would absolutely recommend taking 597 Foreign Language Teaching Methodology with Carole Cloutier. It has been one of my favorite classes at UMass. Don’t let the big number intimidate you, this class is absolutely suited for undergraduates to take, especially those who are interested in the field of education. It’s also a great opportunity to be around native Spanish speakers. The workload is very manageable and Carole is a great teacher and resource! I also think that everyone should take 236 Afro Am History of the Civil Rights Movement with Traci Parker. This course can fulfill the history Gen Ed requirement and is so interesting and relevant. It is one of those classes that can change the way you think. For me, focusing most of my Gen Eds and Education classes on social justice was incredible to get an understanding of the history behind the issues.
Krista: One of my favorite classes wasn’t actually a class I took at UMass. It was a Gender and Immigration class that I took at Amherst College. I wouldn’t say the class was easy but I gained a lot from it. The issues discussed are so important and relevant to my area of study so it was worth the good amount of reading I had to do. I would definitely recommend taking a class at one of the Five Colleges.
Brandyn: I really enjoyed all of the Spanish classes that revolved around Linguistics. I took Intro to Hispanic Linguistics, Spanish Phonetics, Spanish Syntax and one of my favorites was the Phonological Evolution of Spanish from Latin. They were taught by Luiz Amaral, Meghan Armstrong and the last two by Carole Cloutier. I also took Intensive Portuguese for Spanish Speakers last semester with Francisco Fagundes where we crammed 2 semesters of grammar and a semester on literature into a single semester. It was intense but a great way to start learning Portuguese if you already speak Spanish.
Emma: My class recommendations are Poli Sci 101 / Linguistics 101: Both are non-major classes but can fulfill credit or Gen Ed requirements and really contribute to a well-rounded, liberal arts education. Poli Sci 101 with Professor La Raja is interesting and engaging, but also equips you with knowledge of American government and society that will make you a productive citizen. Linguistic 101 complements the Spanish major well and extends your knowledge of Spanish into broader themes like linguicism.
Andrew: I definitely recommend Catalan. They were my favorite classes by far. There are only like 4-6 kids per class, the professor is amazing, and the material is really interesting and easy to pick up if you have a background in Spanish. Plus it’s super useful if you go to Barcelona.
Study Abroad Advice
Avery: GO GO GO!!! Studying abroad is absolutely amazing and you will not regret it. I was so nervous before I left but it turned out to be the best semester ever and all I want to do is go back! I recommend going somewhere in South America; the whole continent stole my heart. I went to Buenos Aires in Argentina and can’t even being to explain how fabulously life changing it was. I urge you to find a city that is far away where you don’t know anyone and go alone. You will learn to depend on yourself and realize how capable you are. If you do go far and alone, a host family is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture and get to know a family (read my blog posts about it here, here and here). So you’ll go abroad and realize that it is the best thing that has ever happened to you. And then you’ll come back and just want to go again because you know that there are so many more things you need to experience. And go for an entire year, time flies and believe me you won’t want to leave.
Krista: ¡Viva la Argentina! I would definitely recommend study abroad, especially in South America. South America is so diverse and full of different cultures and lots of natural beauty. After and before my trip to study in Argentina I had the opportunity to visit a few other South American countries. This allowed me to personally see how unique South America is in different places and also exposed me to the harsh reality of poverty. For me the latter was very impactful and has influenced what would like to pursue for my career.
Brandyn: Probably where I have the most regrets in my career as Spanish major. Because I decided to join the STEP program to become a licensed teacher upon graduation, I didn’t have time in my schedule to go abroad for a whole semester or year. Instead I did the UMass Salamanca program where I spent a month over the summer in Spain. A month abroad definitely wasn’t enough for me. I plan on going to graduate school abroad so that will make up for the lost opportunity. If you have the opportunity to go abroad, go for as long as you can. If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of taking classes in Spanish you can always choose one of the many programs that offer classes taught in English, but I’d say embrace the challenge!
Emma: My singular piece of advice for studying abroad is joining a gym/club/or team that is not affiliated with your study abroad program. Do it without your friends too. It’s the best way to meet Spaniards and get out of your American bubble.
Joanna: First off- do it!! If you can, study abroad. I spent a semester in Granada, Spain, and the phrase “it was life altering” can’t begin to sum up the experience. Wherever you go, remember: be open, be social and take chances! The world is full of people to meet, cultures to taste and stories to make, so pick a place and get ready to fall in love with it.
Pegeen: I spent the fall semester of my junior year in Seville, Spain. I went with Spanish Studies Abroad, which is actually based right here in Amherst. It’s a full immersion program, and I ended up filling my schedule with classes. You hear a lot of times that you shouldn’t necessarily do that, but I ended up learning so much history, literature, art history, you name it through my classes that made the whole experience worth it to me. I was able to travel around Spain to most of the historic cities, museums, sites that I’d studied and read about and kind of see history come alive – which, for me, was one of the best outcomes of my time abroad in Seville.
Andrew: If you can afford it financially and academically, you should definitely study abroad for a full year (Financial Aid also came through big time for me). It was the best decision of my life, and even though it was a full year, it flew by. Also, if you’re brave enough, go for direct enrollment rather than a program. I grew a lot that way and it helped me to get a feel for the bureaucratic system, and how to do all the paperwork and etc. for when I move to Spain.
What We Wish We Had Time To Do
Eleni: If I were to go back and do it all over again, I think I would have figured out what my plans were for the future ahead of time. Seeing advisors helped me out so much, I just wish I had done more planning and seen more advisors outside the major. I am now an Education minor, but I wouldn’t have been able to complete it had I not gone to seek more advising. It is definitely worth it.
Tim: I wish I had soaked in the fall scenery in western Mass to a greater extent. I’ve made plenty of time to hike, including Mount Greylock, but the foliage out here is second to none, and I will really miss it.
Kadeem: I came to Umass as a Junior year transfer student and I wish I didn’t come here with the objective to graduate as soon as I could because my experience would have been a lot more fun. I wish I could have taken advantage of internship opportunities and had the opportunity to study abroad.
Avery: I wish had more time to enjoy some of the hidden gems of UMass, like the Conservatory, Earth Foods and get a few more Iced Chai Lattes from People’s Market or take advantage of reserving study rooms in the library. I wish I also had more time to explore all the great restaurants in Amherst and Northampton. I also wish I would have taken advantage of all the great resources that are offered on campus, like Career Services and the events that they plan.
Krista: As much as I enjoyed my study abroad experience, I wish I had directly enrolled in a university abroad instead of having studied abroad with a program. Because of this, I only took classes with international students rathers than natives and found myself in an American bubble more often than I would have hoped.
Brandyn: I wish I had looked more into the career opportunities I have as a Linguistics major. I always saw it as complementary to my Spanish major, but once I looked at it in the opposite direction a lot more opportunities became apparent that interest me. I would’ve been able to take a lot more classes in the linguistics department and would’ve graduated earlier. I wish I had never enrolled in the STEP program. Now that I don’t plan on being the teacher all it really did was limit the classes I could have taken and it prevented me from spending a year abroad during my undergrad like I had always planned on doing since high school. If you definitely want to be a teacher then the STEP program is an excellent option, but if you’re on the fence, wait until graduate school to do your practicum. Blindly committing to be a teacher wasted and is still wasting a lot of my time and took away some opportunities because I had to take certain classes for the STEP program, preventing me from taking more interesting classes in other departments.
Emma: I wish I had gone to career services freshman year. Even if you think you know what you want to do, or have no idea, it’s worth your time to go. You’ll save yourself from wasting time and resources during your four years at UMass. Caroline Gould is extremely helpful and can point you in the direction of many great opportunities.
Joanna: Check out the activities of Latinos Unidos at UMass, and the other Latino student organizations in the area! I especially recommend the free salsa and bachata lessons at Amherst College. Get your groove on!
Pegeen: If I could recommend one thing to do above everything else in the area, I would definitely say take advantage of all the hiking trails in the area. The Holyoke mountain range is right in our back yards, and it’s full of places to go for walks, run, spend time with your friends, etc…. If you like staying active and are starting to go a little stir-crazy on campus, definitely check them out. And even if exercise isn’t really your thing, it’s still worth it to give them a try because it’s a beautiful area and the fresh air does wonders to help you relax and clear your head.
Andrew: Honestly, I don’t really have any regrets, but if I had to choose something, I guess that I wish I had more time to take advantage of the Five College Language program, which a lot of people don’t know about. If you take a look at Spire, they have all different kinds of classes like Icelandic, Afrikaans, Swahili, Persian… I would’ve loved to take one or two of those classes.
Our Future Plans
Eleni: I plan on being an Elementary school teacher after going to grad school for a year or two. I have just applied and I am hoping for the best. I found my passion through this major and I hope everyone else can as well.
Tim: I plan on going to law school with a focus on environmental & natural resource conservation. I’m going to take a sabbatical year beforehand and apply for Teach For America, hopefully getting an opportunity in a Spanish speaking community.
Kadeem: The great thing about being a Spanish Major is that it doesn’t restrict you to any job market so the possibilities are endless. My advice would be to try as many different things as possible in your freshman and junior year and see which one fits. I don’t have a concrete plan as yet but my best fit so far has been international business.
Avery: As of now my plans for after graduation are still up in the air. There are so many things that I want to do but I will most likely end up spending a year in Spain to continue to improve my Spanish and get teaching experience, then teach in Mass for a while then I would like to spend a few years in Dubai! Although my plans as of now are not concrete I know I will be off on more adventures abroad!
Krista: After graduation I will be taking a gap year to work and spend some time doing service work abroad in Latin America. I plan on going on to continue my education to become a certified legal interpreter and study immigration and human rights law.
Brandyn: Now my primary major is Linguistics so I plan on getting a Master’s Degree in Computational Linguistics where I’ll work on human language processing and teaching computers how to interpret and use human language (what that Siri does), and if not that I’ll be going to Law School to practice either international, criminal or corporate law. I’m actually taking the Law School Admissions Test in two days. Having a secondary major in Spanish will definitely help with both fields.
Emma: My future plans are not set in stone yet. During my junior year, I realized I don’t want to be a Spanish teacher – at least not right away. My immediate plan is to go back to Spain when I graduate and figure the rest out from there!
Joanna: Where do I see myself after graduation? I will be teaching English abroad for a year or so, like I did last summer. Afterwards, who knows? Maybe more traveling or graduate school, the possibilities are endless.
Pegeen: For the last couple years, I have been working through the STEP program here at UMass to get my secondary education teaching licensure – so when I graduate, I will be licensed to teach Spanish from grades 5-12. My plan, as of right now, is to teach Spanish for the first few years after graduation, and then maybe transition into bilingual education. I don’t know if I’ll teach forever, but that is my plan for the immediate future. After that, I really have no idea. We’ll just kind of see what happens.
Andrew: I’m moving to Barcelona to work in a translation agency as a translator. I’m hoping that within the next few years I move on to interpretation – either through grad school or a certificate program – but we’ll see where life takes me.