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.