“Okay and…”, is the response I always get when I’m asked “what is your major?” I used to dread the question when at family events or even just making new friends at UMass because I didn’t know the answer. It’s a tough question when there are so many possibilities, yet everyone always asks: are you going to teach, translate, or interpret? Which made it seem as though I was restricted to only those careers. SURPRISE. That is not at all what I am interested in. Taking Spanish 394 with Luis Marentes taught me that there’s more options out there for me. I do not need to stick to the common route. I decided that I will double major: Spanish and Hospitality and Tourism management. I’ve always been interested in the service industry, regarding helping others and making them happy. What I learned in this class, is that using the Spanish skills I have will not only make me a competitive candidate for a job, but also give me a variety of places to work at. Once I graduate, I hope I can use both these “degrees” and work in a Spanish speaking country. Maybe a resort in Punta Cana, or Cancun. Or my home country of Puerto Rico. Continue reading →