Category Archives: After UMass

How the Spanish Major, for me, translates into an MSW

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As my time at UMass comes to a close, I have begun to ask professors for recommendation letters to send to grad schools. As a Spanish major, the professors that know me best are those who teach within the Spanish Department, and they have asked me how my major ties to my desire to earn my Master of Social Work. My goal to become a LICSW is tied in every way to the pursuit of my Spanish major over the last 6 semesters. When I first started the major, it was because I had a talent for it, and I didn’t really know where it would lead me. I grew to love it, and eventually made the goal to become a medical interpreter. It seemed like a natural choice, given my experience with the healthcare system as a result of my mother’s ALS and that, as anyone that knows me knows, I love people and interacting with those from all different backgrounds and walks of life. However, as a result of taking the first course required for the Interpreting Certificate here at UMass as well as my time studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina, I realized that medical interpreting may be too restricting of my personality. I began to consider what career I could pursue where I would have more professional freedom to exercise my compassion and investment in the well-being of others, Continue reading →

Mi vida con una carrera en español

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Muy a menudo oigo la pregunta “¿que quieres hacer con un título en lengua española?” o, “Si ya puedes hablar [básicamente] con fluidez, ¿cómo te ayudaría un título en español?” Esta consulta típicamente viene de mis amigos que estudian varios tipos de ciencias, o de mi abuela. Otros suponen que me convertiré automáticamente en un profesor, en lo que no tengo ningún interés. La noción que es una pérdida de tiempo y dinero a dedicarse a una carrera en un idioma extranjero es completamente falso. Yo sé exactamente lo que quiero hacer con mi vida, y eso requiere un conocimiento profundo de idiomas y culturas diferentes. Continue reading →

“Not Knowing” and the Future of a Spanish Major

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So far in class and online and in many ways we have discussed the future. The future that we want to pursue and the ways in which we can prepare ourselves now in order to be successful in our pursuits. For the most part our discussions have begun the same, “what do you want to do with your major?” or “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, questions we have all heard and been asked a million times. Questions that as a Spanish major are maybe just a little more open ended than for someone studying say Engineering. Ever since probably junior year of High School people have been asking me what I want to do with my life and although I have tried many times to give answers that will satisfy whoever is asking me, now I realize that one of the bravest answers you can give is “I honestly don’t know, and I am okay with not knowing right now.” Continue reading →

The North American Language and Culture Assistants Program in Madrid – Auxiliares de Conversación 2014-2015 MADRID

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¡Hola a todos! My name is Siobhan Elvin and I am a recent UMass graduate (’14) and former student of Professor Marentes. Today I am blogging to inform current UMass senior/junior Spanish majors about what I have been up since graduation so as to hopefully motivate any of you thinking of moving abroad to a Spanish speaking country to have no fear and just GO!!!!! :)

During my last semester as a senior Spanish major at UMass, I was 180% unsure of exactly what I wanted to do after graduation. Seniors especially, welcome to the dreaded quarter life crisis that is the next 9 months of your life. I personally was terrified of the thought that May 10, 2014, meant I would no longer be a Minuteman, and that I needed a plan for postgrad life. So I did what I recommend others follow suit of: I applied to a variety of things to keep my options open and prolong my ultimate decision until the very last possible moment. I knew that I wanted to continue improving and practicing my Spanish, so I applied to UMass’ Graduate Program in Hispanic Literature and Cultures, as well as I applied to the Spanish Ministry of Education’s “Language and Culture Assistants” Program Teaching English in Spain. I was accepted to both which made me even more unsure of what I wanted to do, but after lots of thinking and tough decision making, I chose the latter, to try out new surroundings away from UMass and to return to the Spanish paradise that I had left in Salamanca just a year before. Continue reading →

Revisiting why Spanish is my major after a few eye-opening experiences

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When I first heard to the question, “Why is Spanish your major?” my response was that I enjoy speaking and learning the language, and would like to eventually be a Spanish teacher. I’m not really sure what my motives were for being a Spanish teacher, other than the fact that my mom is a Spanish teacher, so I’ve been exposed to the career my whole life. I envisioned my self teaching in a normal, middle-class, nearby town. Both my parents work in wealthy towns, which comes with its fair share of downsides, but after a few eye opening experiences, I realized that I am more drawn to working with a different kind of population. When I look back at my first news forum post about my major choice, it seems vague and unsure to me, but I think I have a little more direction now after some of my experiences this semester. Continue reading →

excuses, excuses

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Being a travel junkie, I spend a significant amount of time thinking and reading about traveling. I by no means think travel is everything, and I would encourage thoughtful and intentional travel whether you’re going on vacation or study abroad. I do think that traveling, whether to a new neighborhood, state, or country, is an incredible way to learn more about the world and yourself.

I found this article the other day on one of my favorite travel websites listing “10 excuses that shouldn’t keep you from studying abroad.” It’s a quick read that says neither money, time, or fomo (among other things) should stand in your way of studying abroad. Study abroad experiences can be anything from terribly unenjoyable to world-rockingly awesome, and sometimes can be a combination of both.  It can be scary to embark on an adventure but my feeling is that you never know what you’re capable of until you try.  Even if it’s difficult or scary to imagine leaving home, why deny yourself the opportunity to grow and learn in new ways?  I always remind myself that sometimes my greatest learning has come from my most challenging experiences. And you never know how much fun you can have until you go!

Hi!

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Hellllllllo friends!

I hope you all are doing swell and had wonderful and relaxing summers.

Today is the first day of classes at UMass and I am crying on the inside because instead of being on campus, I am sitting in a cubicle at my town’s public library.

I don’t have anything extraordinary to say in this post, since my summer has been rather uneventful. I started an MCAT prep course the week after graduation and as soon as that ended I went to good ol’ Lebanon for about two weeks (which was awesome as always.) I got to see my family, go to the beach, and enjoy the Beirut nightlife. When I got back to the US, I went right back to studying, and have been studying every single day of the week (except Sundays because otherwise I would combust.) My exam is this Saturday and I am beyond excited to FINALLY take it. Continue reading →

My Major and Me

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My Experience with the Spanish Major

As a freshman at UMass Amherst, I did not have plans of using Spanish as a big part of my life moving forward. I knew Spanish, with two grandparents from the Basque Country in the north of Spain and a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins still living there and keeping in touch, I had heard the language a lot growing up and had a sufficient enough grasp on it to take honors and AP classes throughout high school. It was a language that I like to pull out when around my friends, mostly white and middle class like me, to show off the fact that I was in some way more “cultured” than them, whatever that means. But my plans at UMass were not dependent on in, and certainly not my plans afterwards. I figured I could take classes, minor in it, and have it as a bonus on my resume, sure, but Political Science was really interested me, and whatever I could use that for later.

Sophomore year was when I actually switched my primary major to Spanish, and put Political Science as my secondary. Honestly, though, even at this point it wasn’t because I fully understood or appreciated the major for what it was, it was for reasons of convenience. Continue reading →

Baile

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torremolinos jive

Dancesport is a big theme for me which connects my experience in Spain to that of UMass and home. It has been something I´ve wanted to pursue since I began sophomore year of high school. I danced in the newcomer and bronze levels for a year until my partner stopped dancing, leaving me in a small town in central New York with no dance partner and negative chance of finding another one. Senior year of high school I focused on other types of dance and explored other aspects of life. One of the main reasons I chose UMass was because they have a Ballroom team. During each of the three years I was there I was fortunate to have a partner with whom to compete. I entered college as a bronze-level dancer, placed out of bronze, silver, gold, and left competing in the pre-champion level. I gained experience dancing, performing and competing; developing technique, personal expression, and partner connection. My last partner at UMass not only became a dear friend of mine but also taught me a lot about the aesthetic factors that go hand in hand with passing into the higher levels of dancesport in order the attain ¨the look¨. These visually artistic details include but are not limited to hair, makeup, tanning, dress design, stoning (i.e. gluing crystals to) pretty much anything: a dress, a bracelet, my head…etc.  The ballroom team introduced me to a nearby dance studio with great instructors who believed in me and provided me with encouraging, affirmative and productive guidance at a crucial moment in my dancing, right around the time I decided I would spend my senior year of college studying in Madrid, Spain.

¨Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity¨ – Henry Hartman

Around this time last year (March) I had been accepted and decided to study abroad in the Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain 2013-2014. Continue reading →