An update from current business administration major and Spanish minor April Haines.
I took my first Spanish class when I was in sixth grade, and my teacher at the time was so upbeat and fun that it was really easy to learn the language from her. From that point on, speaking Spanish never felt like a class to me, but it was a fun break from normal classes. As I become more advanced in the language, I noticed that I actually use this skill outside of the classroom which is an incredible feeling, being able to communicate through a second language with someone.
I actually have two jobs serving as a waitress, so I don’t really have a lot of free time for any clubs or conversation hours, but I have had experiences where I have used my second languages at my job. I actually surprise a lot of people with my fluency of the language.
Since Spanish is my minor, I am only in one Spanish class this semester, however, I think what I truly love about being a Spanish minor is enjoying going to my class. I had a tough time trying to decide my major/minor, but I knew I wanted to continue to learn Spanish and be in the atmosphere of the class, that’s why I decided to minor in it.
Since I started language classes here, my language professors have been similar to my teachers in the past, upbeat and fun. I think this is because we are in a smaller class, and that allows us to be in an atmosphere where we can joke around with each other and know each other’s names. Plus, when the class is smaller, we all get comfortable with each other and we are not afraid to make mistakes…which happens a lot in a foreign language class!
I studied abroad to Dénia, Spain, when I was a senior in high school. I’m not sure I could explain how beneficial this experience was to me; there were so many doors opened for me when I studied abroad, and I recommend it to everyone, even if you haven’t taken any classes in a second language. Every day during my exchange was an adventure.
After I graduate, I’m not sure yet where I will be professionally, but I would love to travel along the coast of every country in Central/South America. I’m not sure how my bank account will feel about that, however, that’s the dream!
