I graduated from Skidmore in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Spending
two full semesters living and studying in Madrid, Spain was one of the best things
I have ever done. On the advice of Professor Lertora, I decided to go for an entire
year rather than for only one semester. Living abroad teaches you things that
you will never learn in a classroom and I would recommend it to all.
I have used my knowledge of Spanish in both professional and personal settings.
Presently, I am a second year graduate student at the Boston University School
of Management. While all of my classes are in English, I have had many rewarding
interactions with students from Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, etc.
Immediately after leaving Skidmore, I worked as a high school Spanish teacher
in Miami, Florida. It was both challenging and rewarding to teach everything from
verb conjugations to "La Casa de Bernarda Alba". I would not have been
able to lecture to a group of native speakers without the training I received
at Skidmore.
After leaving teaching, I worked for a non-profit poverty-relief organization
in Boston, MA, which at the time focused heavily on development throughout Latin
America. In my roles as a fundraiser and as a finance administrator, I used my
Spanish skills. It was great to be able to just pick up the phone and speak to
a colleague in Latin America in their native tongue.
Regardless of the path you choose after leaving Skidmore, foreign language skills
will no doubt aid you in your personal and professional endeavors.