Entering college at UMass Amherst, I was set on becoming a teacher. I had worked as a mentor for students of English as a second language in my high school, and I thought that was what I wanted to pursue in the future. However, after a full year of being an education major, I discovered that my true passion was not for teaching, but for language instead. 

My favorite classes in high school were always my Spanish classes. Being able to communicate in a language that allowed me to think differently was always intriguing to me and I knew that in college I needed to continue. After taking some general education requirement classes, I decided to become a double major in Spanish and Linguistics. Originally, I was hesitant to make the switch because I was unfamiliar with jobs related to these majors. However, once I started taking classes I realized I was on the right track. 

One of the first Spanish courses I took at UMass was Conversational Spanish (SPAN 301). I took this class to improve my Spanish-speaking abilities, but I gained so much more. My professor was from Colombia, and I was always so interested in the different words and phrases she would use because I had never heard them before. I would compare her speech to previous teachers I had in high school, who taught me Spanish from Spain, and I was always eager to discover more differences in the Spanish-speaking world. Taking this class sparked my interest in phonetics and phonology, and when I took those linguistics courses, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in an area related to them. 

The Spanish Program at UMass also provided me with the opportunity to participate in a UMass-specific study abroad program in Salamanca, Spain. This program allowed me to expand my Spanish skills, and gain real-world practice with the language. Returning to UMass, I had more confidence in my language skills. Similarly, I also had the option to study abroad for a semester in Granada, Spain, and I decided to go. Both of these abroad experiences helped me gain a wider perspective on the world and have first-time experiences in a language other than English. For example, I had to discuss my phone plan with a company on the phone in Spain, and I have never even done that in English. There are words and phrases I learned just by having that conversation that I could not even translate to English, but I know their meanings. Additionally, my courses in Granada helped me solidify my plan for what I wanted to pursue as a career in the future. I loved my classes, specifically ‘Spanish Linguistics’ and ‘The Diversity of Spanish in the World.’ My curiosity expanded through each class session, and I discovered that I wanted to combine my love for phonetics/phonology with my passion for Spanish and helping others and pursue a career in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology. 

Furthermore, the most impactful Spanish courses I have taken on the UMass campus have been my integrative experience classes. In the first part of the two-class course, Professor Luis Marentes helped us understand the career possibilities for Spanish majors beyond teaching and provided us with multiple opportunities to get involved with different Spanish-speaking communities in Western Massachusetts. From that class, my main takeaway was that Spanish majors are unique because we can use our bilingual perspective to create a community. There are endless opportunities for students in this major, they are just not as familiar to us as teaching. Similarly, the second part of my integrative experience with Professor Albert Lloret was more reflection-based. Reflecting on our time as Spanish majors is essential because we learn more about ourselves and how we can apply our experiences to the future. I am grateful for both of these courses, and I truly believe that without them I would be lost.

Ultimately, I am extremely happy with my decision to switch to the Spanish Major. The advisors and professors have always been incredibly supportive of me, and they have provided me with opportunities for the future that I did not even think were possible. I have connected with people who are passionate about language just as I am, and I am confident that this major has prepared me to take on the working world.