An update from Brett Price ’15, who majored in Spanish with a minor in East Asian Studies (Chinese and Japanese) in Illinois State’s Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Price now works as a flight attendant.

“My studies in Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese have prepared me to serve people from all over the world. Not only because I have a language skill that allows me to communicate, but also because I have an understanding of the cultural nuances that differentiate all the ethnicities and cultural groups from around the world. Language skills I developed in college also enabled me to respond in emergency situations that otherwise would have been extremely confusing.

Furthermore, as a part of the Languages, Literatures, and Cultures department study abroad is crucial in developing a fluency in your chosen language. My commitment to study abroad in Taiwan also prepared me for my jet-setting lifestyle. I don’t get nervous going to a foreign country because my college study abroad made me flexible enough to respond to adversity and challenges faced while abroad.

Don’t be afraid to change your mind and do something different during or after college.”