Category: Graduates 2017-2018

As a student, Ms. Ferraro has had the opportunity to participate in many different programs related to Japan. She worked as a peer assistant in the Keio-WM Cross Cultural Collaboration helping Japanese students do comparative research on US and Japanese culture, and subsequently studied abroad at Keio University. At William & Mary, She lived in the Japanese House, was a TA for intro Japanese, and did anthropological research on the issue of elderly care in Japan. After graduating with a double major in English and Japanese Studies, She’ll be participating in the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program as a coordinator for international relations.

Mackenzie Neal began studying Japanese in high school and has continued to explore the Japanese language and culture during her time at the College. A Government major with a minor in East Asian Studies, her research interests include Japanese soft-power politics and Asia/Pacific security architecture. She has served as a TA for the Japanese Language Program and was the 2017 recipient of the Kinyo Prize for Excellence in Japanese at the advanced level. Mackenzie has used her Japanese language skills in internships with the U.S. Department of State and the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations. She is currently conducting research on Japanese “apology fatigue” and international apology dynamics for her senior seminar on the political psychology of international relations. Mackenzie will continue studying Japanese in Washington, D.C. after graduation.

The study of Japanese is the skill set that Yunyi Zhu pursued during his four years at the College of William and Mary, thanks to the enthusiasm of Japanese Study program professors. He especially benefited by studying abroad at Keio University and counts that experience as one of the best memories of his life. In Keio, he found his hall and classmates to be as fascinated with Japanese culture as he. He also made many friends who worked hard with him and, together, they spent a great deal of time practicing the Japanese language and exploring the culture. They all appreciated the fact that Tokyo is a charming city that attracts people from many cultures. Upon his return to W&M, he completed the 400-level Japanese classes. However, he is excited to know that more knowledge about Japan and its culture awaits him after graduation.

I first became interested in Russian Studies after eating at an Eastern European restaurant the summer after I graduated from high school. The food was so unlike anything that I had ever tried before, and the atmosphere was so unique and fresh that I wanted to learn more. I did some reading about Russia, Russian, and borsht, then decided to take Russian 101, thinking that if I did not like it, I could just continue with French. The rest is history! My first class at William & Mary was Russian 101 with Bella Feliksovna. Within the Russian and Post-Soviet Studies program, the quality of the teaching was so high and the feeling of community so excellent that I decided to pursue a RPSS Minor.

There are numerous opportunities to become involved with RPSS at William & Mary—weekly events, movie screenings, lectures, conversation hours, and the professors are always open to discussion if you pop by their offices. I got involved in some research that Professor Aleksandr Prokhorov was working on. One day I was just asked to come aboard and work with some linguistic data. My major is Computer Science, so it was a great opportunity to combine my interests.

After graduation, I hope to land a software engineering position.

The project that I have been working on with Professor Prokhorov is front and center on my resume. It was a large project, and without it I would be much less competitive in the interview process. Several time I have even bonded with interviewers over their own connections to Russia.

No matter where I end up, I do not think I will ever lose the appreciation for Russian culture and understanding of global context that I developed at W&M. Learning Russian has been a journey, and I would recommend it to everyone!

Over the past four years, much of my academic and extracurricular life on campus has revolved around Russian and Post-Soviet Studies. I have participated in student-led groups, such as the Russian and English language newspaper Gazeta and the Russian Music Ensemble. I lived in the Russian language house for two years. This year, I also served on the Russian Language Olympics organizing committee. My favorite courses have included Bella Ginzbursky-Blum’s language classes, Robert Mulcahy’s class on the Fantastic in Russian Literature, and Elena Prokhorova’s seminar on Russian television genres. In addition, I had the privilege of assisting Alexander Prokhorov on his Cinema and Memory research project. Conducting, transcribing, and translating interviews conducted in Russian has exponentially increased my listening comprehension and vocabulary in the Russian language. As a double major in Russian and Post-Soviet Studies and English, I have always looked for ways to synthesize these two areas of interest. For instance, while studying abroad in St. Petersburg my sophomore year,  I visited the apartment of poet Anna Akhmatova to research the impact of her living conditions on her long poem Requiem. More recently, I composed an undergraduate thesis with the help of the English and Russian departments in which I compare the works of Modernist Virginia Woolf and the Russian Futurist writer Elena Guro. The project included transliterations of Guro’s original Russian text, allusions to Slavic folklore in both works, and close reading analysis based on Russian formalist and French feminist theory.

Undoubtedly, enrolling in Russian 101 was the greatest decision I ever made as an undergraduate. My experience with the RPSS department has provided me with invaluable analytical, creative, and social skills that I will use in my future endeavors, and, perhaps more importantly, it has connected me with my most trusted friends and mentors. This fall, I will begin a Ph.D. program in Slavic Studies with a concentration in Russian Literature at Indiana University, Bloomington. I am excited to embark on new intellectual journeys while also treasuring the memories and friendships I have made at William & Mary.

I began studying Chinese in the summer of 2011. Now, seven years later, it seems almost natural that I would major in it, but this has been a wonderful journey. I’m grateful to everyone in the Chinese department, both the professors and the students, for making the last four years so memorable. I still remember travelling with my Tsinghua study abroad group and the engaging discussions that took place in classes. I’m proud to have been a part of this close-knit community and I know that they will all do great things. I believe that the Confucius Institute has had the biggest impact on my time at William & Mary. Interning has allowed me to meet so many people who share my passion for Chinese language, and I’ve grown both professionally and personally during my time there. I’m glad that WM has access to these kinds of resources and that I was able to use them to improve my Chinese. Next year, I will be attending Carnegie Mellon University for a Master’s in Information Systems Management: Business Intelligence and Data Analytics.

When I entered William & Mary as a Freshman in the Fall of 2014, I knew that I wanted to study a subject that would allow me learn more about and connect with people and cultures around the world. After some exploring, it became clear that Chinese was the obvious fit. As a Sophomore, I fell in love with the challenge of learning Chinese; the difficulty and complexity of the language motivated me to improve my skills as much as I could, and to learn more about the parts of the world where it is spoken. As a Junior, my study abroad experience at Beijing’s Qinghua University gave me my first taste of authentic Chinese culture. Although brief, my stay in China was easily the most unforgettable and enriching experience of my college career. Now as a Senior, I am exciting to put to use the skills and knowledge that I have gained, and to further build upon them. For the next couple years, I will be serving as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in central China. I cannot wait for the challenges and experiences that lie ahead!

I am so thankful for the opportunities the French department at William & Mary has given me over the past four years.  I’ve had great professors and met some of my closest friends in this department.  When I was a freshman, I remember taking the French freshman seminar with Professor Magali Compan—and how incredibly intimidated I was by my fellow students.  Looking back now, my freshman self had no idea just how much I would learn from professors like Professor Compan.  From my classes on campus to my unforgettable semester abroad in Montpellier, I consider my experiences with the French department as essential milestones in my time at W&M.  As for my future, I will be attending University of Virginia School of Law this coming fall, with the hopes of one day using my French as an international lawyer.  So to everyone in the French department who helped me along the way:  Merci à vous tous, et vous me manquerez énormément !

I am very happy with my decision to double major in Hispanic Studies and History. After taking Advanced Grammar and Composition with Professor Jorge Terukina Fall of my Freshman year, I decided I wanted to major in Hispanic Studies. The small class size and professor support that I encountered from my first class in the department was something I wanted to experience throughout the rest of college. As I labored through my GER requirements my first two years at W&M, my Hispanic Studies courses were always a welcome treat because of the focus on discussion and my interest in the course material. Entering W&M, I knew I wanted to study abroad for an entire year, which I was only able to achieve by majoring in Hispanic Studies. I spent my Junior year in Seville, Spain without worrying about credits because of the encouragement and support I received from the Hispanic Studies faculty. Outside the classroom, I have served as a TA for HISP 203 and am currently interning with the National Security Archive’s Southern Cone Documentation Project here on campus for Hispanic Studies credit. Finally, as my Hispanic Studies career ends, I will be interning at the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Washington D.C. directly following graduation.

My name is Nicole Cook and I am graduating with a double major in International Relations and Chinese Studies. I feel beyond blessed to have been a part of the Chinese Department all four years! I truly love the challenge of mastering a second language so different from English. I entered William & Mary never having studied Chinese, but the encouraging faculty and supportive environment have fostered some of my favorite college experiences. During the summer of 2016, I studied in Beijing through the W&M Summer Study Abroad program. I am excited to return to China this fall, studying for one academic year in Guilin as a Boren Scholar. I hope to apply my Chinese-language knowledge in a future career related to US national security.

I cannot imagine my college experience without the Chinese Studies program. I was nervous to transition from a high school to college level language program, but my Chinese 202 teacher worked hard to bring me up to speed with my older classmates and made me feel comfortable in a challenging learning environment. She was the first teacher to show interest in my academic progress and I looked forward to every class. After my study abroad experience at Qinghua University the following summer, I quickly declared by Chinese major. The combination of language and culture classes formed for me an appreciation of a culture I never experienced before. Though I will not be speaking Chinese in my post-graduate job, studying Chinese taught me how to pursue challenges and operate out of my comfort zone. I know that these skills will be beneficial for years to come!

The past four years in the French department at William & Mary have given me countless memories and opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom. The French classes I’ve taken here have covered a diverse range of subjects- from art history, to Francophone North America, to the portrayal of monsters in 18^th century literature- which has allowed me to explore a variety of interests while strengthening my French language skills. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend the summer after my sophomore year abroad in Montpellier. Not only did my French improve dramatically, but I gained a new appreciation for the culture and made lasting friendships with the other students on the trip. This experience abroad pushed me to pursue a way to return to France after graduation, and I’m excited to say that I will be participating in the TAPIF program as a teacher’s assistant in the Amiens region this coming school year. Thank you to all the professors in the French program who have made my time at William & Mary engaging, exciting, and unforgettable.

I have had an amazing experience as a French and Francophone Studies major at William & Mary. Coming from a French Canadian background, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I took my first French class. After four years taking classes in the French Department, I can absolutely say that I’ve learned so much. I’ve had the chance to take French classes with a wide variety of topics ranging from learning about Renaissance art history and French Bohemian artists to learning about the current events in France. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have taken such rich French classes. After graduating, I plan on volunteering in India for the summer with my brother. After that, I was offered a teaching assistant position in Grenoble, France for the 2018-2019 school year, where I will be teaching English to elementary school students. Once that program ends, I plan on returning to Canada, where I will start applying to medical schools, and hopefully become a pediatrician.

I began my French major simply intending to retain some of the language I had learned in high school. However, I have learned so much during my four years of taking French here at William and Mary beyond simply becoming more fluent in the language. From Art and Culture classes, to the history of Versailles, the thing that I appreciate most about this program is that the French department offers such a variety of classes that anyone could find something interesting to explore. By far my favorite memory, not just of my major but of college as a whole, is my study abroad experience in Montpellier during the summer between my sophomore and junior years. I learned so much through that journey, about the culture and history of France, but also about independence and self-reliance, and I fully intend to return to France someday. In the meantime, I am spending the summer at Columbia University’s School of Journalism. I’ll be attending the summer publishing course there, in pursuance of my goal to become an editor of children’s books. Majoring in French has broadened my language skills in so many ways, and I am hoping to use my major in the future to do some translation work.

The Chinese Department at William & Mary was instrumental in my progress from high school to what lies beyond. I have taken Chinese every semester but one here, beginning with 301 and ending with 404. I wasn’t sure at first if I wanted to major or minor in Chinese, but Tang Laoshi gave me the inspiration to submit my major and I haven’t looked back since. My experience culminated in my junior and senior year, studying abroad with CET Harbin in spring 2017 and having the honor of being selected as a Chinese TA for spring 2018. Helping to teach Chinese 202 and holding individual tutoring sessions has given me an extremely rewarding conclusion to my Chinese Department experience. I would especially like to thank Qian Su and Chun-yu Lu, who have worked diligently to advise and teach me. I look forward to returning to China this summer to lead a group of American high schoolers on a month long educational trip.

Over the past four years, my French courses have pushed me to think from different perspectives and express myself in new ways. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to study and research in France twice through the French department. These experiences helped me to hone my language and interpersonal skills in and out of the classroom. I’m still figuring out my plans for after graduation, but I know that my language studies have equipped me with problem-solving and communication skills that I’ll take with me on whichever career path I choose.

My name is Lawrence Thurber and I am a double major in Hispanic Studies and Finance. I really enjoyed my academic track and experience at William and Mary because I was able to combine business with intercultural communication thanks to the Hispanic Studies department to create my own international business degree. Through the Hispanic Studies department, I was lucky enough to study abroad in Spain not once, but twice and even was able to work at a tech start-up in Valencia. Hispanic Studies has not only allowed me to improve my overall Spanish skills, but encouraged me to delve into Hispanic culture learning everything from the history and cultural constructs of the Spanish speaking world to the phonetic composition of the language. While in Spain, I was also able to write a research thesis analyzing the pros and cons of international investment in the Colombian economy, which was one of the most interesting projects I have worked on to this date.  Some of my favorite classes during my undergraduate career at the College were Spanish phonetics with Professor Arries, Hispanic cinema with Professor Buck, and my senior capstone class about the Spanish Civil War with Professor Cate-Arries. Next year, I will be working at the Carlyle Group in Washington D.C. as a junior analyst, where hopefully I will be placed on their Latin American or European Buyout Funds. This will give me the opportunity to standout with my international experience and Hispanic Studies degree. I also hope to be a MBA candidate at I.E. Business School in Madrid after Carlyle, where I can further advance my career in international business.

Hola a todxs! My name is Kelley Doyle and I am a Hispanic Studies and Religious Studies double major. Coming into college, I knew I wanted to continue Spanish, having begun studying the language in middle school. My first semester, I jumped right in and took a Freshman Seminar with Professor Cate-Arries called “Imaginando Madrid: Paisajes urbanos en transición, 1808-2014.” Within the first few weeks, she invited all of her students in the class to her home for a Spanish dinner. The hospitality and warmth I felt as a result of that experience has continued throughout my time in this wonderful department. I also had the opportunity to study abroad in Cádiz, combining my interests in religion and Spanish culture to develop my own research project. Professors here really know their students: I remember one time in Cádiz, Professor Buck clipped me an article from a local paper about Bob Dylan, just because she thought I would enjoy it! The Hispanic Studies faculty is committed and caring, teaching its students to care deeply about this world and its people, whether through creating literacy programs, advocating for representation, or defending human rights. I have absolutely loved my time in the department and am grateful for the way it has shaped me. In the fall, I will be starting a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, studying religion, art, and activism, as well as hopefully continuing Spanish in the Latin American Studies program!

I knew I’d found my home at the College on the first day of my freshman year in Professor Magali Compan’s French 151 seminar. I loved the chance to connect with other francophiles and to have challenging, enriching discussions together. Through the Francophone lens, I loved learning about art, history, culture, linguistics, poetry, and so much more in the amazing courses offered in our department. The Modern Languages department also provided the opportunity for me to study abroad in Montpellier, France. I benefitted tremendously from the language immersion I experienced abroad, but the chance to conduct research in this immersion environment was especially transformational. With the help of my advisor, Prof. Compan, I had the chance to study the thriving book market in Montpellier. Finally, the French program sparked my passion for education through my experience as a TA in the department. I loved the ability to connect with other students, and to come up with creative ways to teach the material. Beginning this summer, I will be pursuing my Master’s Degree in Elementary Education– ESL Endorsement at the W&M School of Education. After the program, I hope to teach in a French immersion elementary school!

I went into my Freshman year totally unsure of what I wanted to pursue. I have always been interested in my Chinese heritage, which led me take A Brand New China as my freshman seminar and enroll in the Heritage Speakers course. Every semester, I found myself wanting to make space to take more and more of the Chinese Program’s courses. After an amazing summer abroad at Tsinghua University, I knew I wanted to have Chinese as a major. I was also super invested in the Chinese Student Organization on campus and served as Secretary an then President. It made me super happy to be able to grow our presence on campus and share cultural traditions and experiences with the community. I’ve had a great college experience where I was able to learn more about myself and cross cultural communications through my studies and extracurriculars. Currently, I am working as a Marketing Operations Assistant at China Telecom Americas. I can definitely say my studies have helped prepare me for working at a company where east meets west.

In my few years here, I’ve been as active a participant in three separate departments within Modern Languages, and would have gladly done more if it was possible to cram so much into such a short period of time. My absolute favorite thing about each of these departments are the professors that are so glad to see young students taking interest in their language and that possess such a passion to help students succeed in any endeavor, whether it’s related to the subjects they teach or otherwise. I’ve gone to a few professors during their office hours with questions, and have come out with so much information that I had no idea what to do with it all, and I’m so glad to have been able to learn from such passionate and caring people. My plan for the next few years is to continue my language studies by teaching English in the countries where my target languages are spoken (per the advice of one of the previously mentioned professors) before ultimately enrolling in graduate school in order to become an interpreter and translator.

Throughout my time with the French department, I have learned a great deal about not only French culture but the cultures of other francophone countries as well. I appreciate the relationships I developed with my professors and the opportunities they gave me to pursue a variety of interests in the context of French such as cinema, literature, and creative writing. Studying abroad in Strasbourg through the IFE program proved to be one of the most exciting periods of my life and the summer research I conducted in Paris allowed to me to develop my skills as a researcher as well as the opportunity to challenge myself by undertaking the challenge of doing research for an Honors thesis. I was also able to put the years of French classes I had taken to the test and I lived in one of my favorite cities in the world. Over the summer, I will work a summer job after which I will be teaching English in the Aix-en-Provence/Marseille Region with the TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France) program. My experience as a student in the French department has allowed me to meet some of my most influential professors and some of my best friends at William & Mary.

My interest in Chinese language and culture began when I lived in Hong Kong and Beijing for middle school and high school.  During my time at William and Mary as a double major in Chinese and Government, I was able to further expand my knowledge of China while thinking about how to aid US-China relations in the future.  I enjoyed academically exploring Chinese culture and language at a deeper level in interesting classes with great faculty in the Chinese department.  I hope that, with my understanding of Chinese culture and language fostered by the great Chinese program at William and Mary, I’ll be able to help foster peace and mutual prosperity between China and the United States as a diplomat.

One of the most meaningful experiences that I’ve had with the French and Francophone Studies Program has been my junior year study abroad in Montpellier. I would have never studied abroad in Montpellier and met all the incredible people I did if not for the program. I’m so grateful to all the powerful women within the program that have inspired me to dig deeper into something I’ve always loved!

I’ve been interested in Chinese ever since I lived in Beijing as a kid. It’s been interesting learning more about the language and culture these last four years. I spent my junior year studying abroad at Tsinghua, where I improved my language skills and traveled around the country. After graduation, I’m moving to Seattle to work as a software engineer at Microsoft.

Through the French and Francophone Studies program, I’ve learned invaluable communication skills and deepened my knowledge of cultures abroad. Through my courses and with the support of fantastic professors and classmates, I’ve engaged with texts, art, and film from around the world, which has enriched and diversified my education. My mentors in the department challenged me to find the intersections between language, culture, history, and art, which has fundamentally transformed my worldview.

I’m excited to take what I’ve learned through my experiences in the program with me after graduation. I will be staying at William & Mary for the next three years to complete my law degree. I am planning to practice at the intersection of public interest and family law, and I believe that my knowledge of French will open up many opportunities for supporting families with roots abroad.

The Hispanic Studies department was fundamental to my time at William & Mary. I was fortunate enough to balance humanities and business, being a Finance and Hispanic Studies double major. My background in Spanish goes all the way back to elementary school, where I was in an immersion program. Fast forward to college, and I couldn’t imagine not taking any courses in Spanish. The courses here have opened my eyes to major issues within the Hispanic community that are not typically addressed in the news. It also allowed me to study abroad in Cádiz, Spain, which opened my eyes to other cultures, and the nuances within the Spanish language itself. Studying Spanish has opened so many doors that I would never have thought possible. Breaking down a language barrier is a huge o advantage, building bridges with communities and breaking down walls with people who don’t feel quite as comfortable surrounded by others who don’t speak their language. Not to mention, it’s a great resume booster! One major thing that the Hispanic Studies department gave me, is a great group of friends. It may seem like a minor factor when deciding a major, but the people I’ve met along the way, I still keep in touch with, and plan to stay in touch with them. The Hispanic Studies department fosters comfortable classroom environments, allowing people like me to foster connections with my peers, and even feel empowered to speak up in class and share my personal insights. In short, the Hispanic Studies department played a major role in who I am today.

Before I started my undergraduate career at the College of William & Mary, I figure skated competitively.  Taking lessons from a couple of Russian Olympians and skating to the popular Russian folk song “Kalinka” were perhaps the two main factors that launched my interest in studying Russian.  Little did I know that I would decide to major in Russian and Post-Soviet Studies at William & Mary or that the decision would introduce me to an entirely new world. Every class that I took was interesting, especially Russian Myths and Legends and a course on Western and Russian detective novels, as well as Russian language, cinema, history, and political courses.  There is not a single class in all of RPSS that I regret taking. Moreover, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to live in the Russian House as well as study abroad in St. Petersburg! St. Petersburg is a lovely city, filled with street musicians and the aromas of fresh markets, cafes, and restaurants.  I can almost hear the accordion players now just thinking about it!

During my college career, I was President of The Russian Music Ensemble, where I played the violin, prima domra, and alto balalaika.  Playing with the ensemble was one of my favorite hobbies, because I loved sharing beautiful traditional Russian folk music with others through concerts and gigs, such as our performances at W&M’s Global Film Festival and the Russian Language Olympics.  I am proud to say that the ensemble is now a one credit course and that all instruments and voice types are welcome. So far, the ensemble has a small talented choir and musicians who play both classical Western and Russian folk instruments. In fact, I enjoyed Russian music so much that I sought out other groups, with which I could continue playing the balalaika after graduation.  These groups include the Washington Balalaika Society and the Balalaika and Domra Association of America.

This summer, I will be teaching Russian through the STARTALK Russian immersion program at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.  My intense RPSS curriculum certainly helped me to find job opportunities and I am very thankful to the W&M Russian faculty for being so supportive. I definitely plan on returning to Russia to do more research on Russian symphonic orchestras, folk music groups, and concert culture.

My years here at William & Mary have been beyond invaluable in how they’ve changed my outlook on life and desire to affect change in the world. Between the IFE Program in Brussels, and Professor Kulick’s very practical and informative TESOL classes, I’ve learned quite a bit on the difficulties of navigating different languages and cultures in the classroom and on the streets. Teaching has become my passion, and whether it be abroad or at home, that is where I intend to make my little corner of the world brighter. Knowing how to decolonize both the material that I absorb and that I bring to my students, as Mme Compan has taught, will be instrumental in changing the educational system to teach more tolerant and critical thought processes; it will also be central to my long term goal of improving the United States’ educational system by promoting Native visibility in primary and secondary school curricula.

I had an incredible experience with the French program. I originally intended to take a few classes for fun, but after taking just one class, I wanted to keep taking classes. I learned how to critically think about literature, art, film and music. Professors in the French department provided me with a deeper understanding of French and Francophone studies. I’d say one of my most meaningful experiences was being able to study abroad in France. I learned so much about France, my French improved significantly. It also allowed me to have a new understanding of French culture and when I got back I was able to apply those same skills to classes here. I will be forever grateful for our French professors I have had because they have encouraged me to push myself to be a better student. Also through this program I have developed a deep love for France.

When I came to college, I originally planned to minor in Hispanic Studies as a casual way to keep up with the Spanish I studied in high school. However, after earning so many credits through the Cádiz summer program in 2015, I decided to pursue the Hispanic Studies major alongside Public Policy, and I am so glad I made that decision. The Hispanic Studies classes I’ve taken have widened my understanding of other cultures, increased my confidence in speaking and writing in Spanish, and sharpened my analytical skills. I have been pushed and challenged by my professors and peers, but I have become a better student because of it, and I have learned so much from them. Professor Cate-Arries has been especially integral to my Hispanic Studies experience: from jumping into her freshman seminar my very first semester of college, to developing an original research project with her in Cádiz, to learning the practical skills of Spanish-to-English translation and creating subtitles for a documentary, and finally rounding out my college years in her senior seminar on Francoism and its legacy, she has encouraged and challenged me to become a better student these past four years. I also especially enjoyed Hispanic Cinema with Professor Buck, Spanish Phonetics with Professor Arries, and Advanced Grammar and Composition with Professor Greenia. Another one of the highlights of the Hispanic Studies program has been the small class sizes, enabling me to develop relationships with other students and having at least a few familiar faces in my classes from semester to semester. I can’t wait to bring the analytical, communicative, research, and writing skills that I’ve learned in the Hispanic Studies department with me to law school at the University of California, Irvine starting in Fall 2018 and into the legal profession.

The Hispanic Studies department gave me the unique opportunity to spend an extended time in Argentina, fostering a passion for music and human rights issues, as well as the connections between the two.  I was able to meet some incredible, motivated people who have a hunger for life, learning, and justice. My hope is to return to South America to pursue music while promoting human rights in the region.

My name is Eleanor Morrison and I am truly indebted to the Hispanic Studies faculty at William and Mary. I began to take Spanish classes in elementary school, but I did not fully develop an interest in the language until college. My courses at William and Mary taught me that the Spanish language is much more than a useful skill: it is a necessary tool to truly understand our nation, our culture and our neighbors. My Hispanic Studies courses have sent me back in time by reviewing 16^th century manuscripts in Swem Library’s Special Collections; they also engaged me with current issues such as memory and trauma in Latin America. In addition, the Hispanic Studies department broadened my worldview when I left the country for the first time to live in Cádiz, Spain for two months. I am particularly thankful for the freedom the Hispanic Studies faculty gave me to research topics I felt were interesting and important, from Mexican social media to the Spanish-speaking world’s view of the present Russo-American relationship. For all these reasons and more, I am very grateful to the Hispanic Studies staff for their guidance throughout my time at William and Mary.

However, perhaps the most useful direction that I received from the Hispanic Studies faculty was career-based. In my Junior year, I took a Spanish translation course which completely opened my eyes to the importance and complexity of translation work. This course then inspired me to seek other translation opportunities. Since that semester, I took another Spanish translation course, interned as a Russian translator and I am currently studying to become a translator full-time.

Although saying goodbye to the Hispanic Studies program is bittersweet, I am so grateful and happy to have been a part of it for the past few years! Despite my naive freshman intentions to only take a couple of Spanish-related classes during college, I just couldn’t stay away. The incredible faculty members have pushed me to learn things I never would have imagined about my own interests and future possibilities. In addition to studying abroad in Sevilla and being a TA in the department, every one of my courses has opened me up to new ways of thinking about the world.

Coming into college, I knew I wanted to continue taking Spanish to keep up my language skills, but didn’t expect to become a Hispanic Studies major.  This changed from the very first class I enrolled in, a Freshman Seminar with Professor Cate-Arries. I saw that a major in Hispanic Studies would do much more than just improve my Spanish. I had the opportunity to engage critically with a variety of subjects from literature to history to politics to cinema. As a freshman, the class was a challenging one, but each day I was encouraged by a professor who pushed me to produce the very best work I was capable of.  This class was indicative of a future that held many more hours of engaging material taught by professors who not only cared deeply about their subjects, but also their students.

One of the most transformative experiences of my college career was studying for a semester in Seville, Spain.  Immersing myself in a new culture was both challenging and exhilarating. I pushed my own boundaries of language use and said yes to as many new opportunities as could from volunteering at a local pool, to running a nighttime 10k with thousands of Spaniards in neon orange shirts, to traveling around Spain solo. I gained a deep appreciation for paella and a serious case of the travel bug, but more importantly a sense of confidence and independence that I have carried with me since. I am immensely grateful for my time in the Hispanic Studies department that has allowed me to grow not only as a student, but also as an individual.

When I started at William & Mary, the only thing I thought I was going to do was study English. But during the spring of my freshman year, I took a Spanish conversation course, and it launched me into the world of Hispanic Studies full-time. My experience in Hispanic Studies is inextricably linked with the Hispanic House, where I lived for two years and made some of my best friends and favorite memories of college. I was even able to spend a semester abroad in Seville, immersing myself fully in the culture and landscape of Spain. When I returned, I felt prepared to take some of the most interesting–and challenging!–courses that William and Mary had to offer, like Prof. Buck’s “Hispanic Cinema” and Prof. Cate-Arries’ “El franquismo y sus fantasmas”. I even got a head start on my future plans by working as a TA for the 203 class, learning to introduce the Spanish culture and language to my first students.

My current goal is to experience the rest of the Spanish-speaking world that I’ve only had a taste of so far. I’m not quite ready to give up travelling and learning just yet–I plan to work as a English teacher in Spain, and maybe later on in countries in South America, all while continuing to perfect my own Spanish so that I may someday achieve my dream of working as a Spanish-to-English (and vice versa) literature and film translator. I’ll always be grateful for the amazing teachers and influences I’ve had in the Hispanic Studies department, and I can’t wait to face what will come.

I struggle to find the words in either English or Spanish to accurately describe my gratitude and relief that I chose a Hispanic Studies major. I transferred to William & Mary my junior year and was immediately introduced to an entirely different approach to learning Spanish; I was also immersed in social justice, art, history, literature, and government. Over the course of my time at William & Mary I studied abroad in Argentina which was a truly life changing experience; I was able to travel all over South America and also worked with a human rights NGO. I earned a research grant from the department to share my experience on a blog which helped me put all the questions and new lessons into words. This major provided me the background to think beyond facts and figures. It has taught me an entirely new method of thinking in which I can apply ideas and concepts to new situations: I spent this semester researching the Franco dictatorship in Spain in which I studied the rise to power and the years in which the fascist regime was able to maintain control for so many decades, important lessons applicable not only to Spain. I have also studied the US-Mexico border and contemporary issues in the US such as SB 1070 and Arizona’s ethnic studies ban, important topics that relate to race, class, and even gender in deeply important ways. Most importantly I am able to discuss, write about, and even present these topics in a second language. I am leaving William & Mary confident in the skills I have acquired here. I recently found myself interviewing for a position entirely in Spanish, and left the office feeling confident and secure in how I was able to convey my academic and professional background. I am positive and excited to see where my Hispanic Studies degree will take me.

When I came to William & Mary as a freshman I had originally planned on minoring in Hispanic Studies. After taking a couple of Hispanic Studies courses that year, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Cádiz, Spain. Guided by Professor Cate-Arries, I had the most amazing experience while abroad, and now regard Cádiz as one of my favorite cities in the world. Many classes and a few years later, I am now a Hispanic Studies Major and Marketing Minor. I am thankful to all of my professors and experiences at the College for further developing my skills as a creative and analytical thinker and as an effective communicator. Upon my graduation, I plan to pursue a career in marketing and public relations, and hopefully my career opportunities will allow me the ability to maintain my Spanish.

Arriving as a freshman at the College of William and Mary, I decided I wanted to challenge myself. My first idea to do so was to learn a new language, and Chinese felt like the evident answer. The highlight of my time as a Chinese Studies major is, without a doubt, the opportunity I was given to study abroad in Beijing. That summer, I had the most amazing time. Spending all my days practicing Chinese in both a classroom and a life setting was utterly invigorating, and my experience was undoubtedly highlighted by the presence of Professor Tang, who was a motivation and a joy to us all during this trip. Overall, having that added Chinese major has been a blessing both to my life, and hopefully my future career.

Before coming to William and Mary, Spanish had always been one of my least favorite subjects, and I could not wait to be done with language requirements forever upon graduating from high school. However, I hadn’t taken enough Spanish classes to meet the GER language requirement at W&M, so I chose to “get it over with” as soon as I could by taking Combined Intermediate Spanish my first semester of freshman year. The impossible happened, and I immediately fell in love with the Spanish language. Since that first semester, both my professors and peers in the Hispanic Studies department have taught me the importance of studying cultural and historical context along with the grammatical aspects of a language. I discovered that there is no true “pure” form of Spanish and that the cultural variations of language are what make it so beautiful, because they give us a glimpse into the values held by its speakers. During my junior year, I participated in both the La Plata, Argentina and Sevilla, Spain study abroad programs, where I ultimately became fluent in Spanish and greatly expanded my perspective on the world and my program of study. This summer, I will be transitioning to a full-time position at an immigration law firm in Alexandria, Virginia, where I will be primarily working with Central American refugees fighting asylum cases. After a year or two of working, I plan on applying to law schools and eventually becoming an immigration attorney.

I knew as soon as I entered William and Mary that I wanted to major in Hispanic Studies, but I couldn’t have imagined how much the past four years of being a student in the Hispanic Studies department would mean to me. Since my first day at William and Mary, the classes and the professors of Hispanic Studies have consistently been my favorites and the ones that have pushed me to my academic and personal potential.

As a major in the program, I’ve been privileged to be able to do research at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library in Minnesota with Prof. Greenia, walk the Camino with Prof. Riofrio, be a TA for Profs. Carrion and Terukina, and do an independent study with Prof. Terukina about Grandeza mexicana (1604). Some of my favorite classes have dealt with the medieval and early modern Hispanic world, translation, and the early 20th century in Spain.

Since sophomore year, I’ve researched 16th and 17th century private libraries in the archives in Pamplona, Spain, which after a summer full of research has culminated in my senior honors thesis “‘A qué manera de libros y letras es inclinado’: las bibliotecas privadas de Navarra en los siglos XVI y XVII” about the expression of personal identity through private libraries.

Next year I will begin an MA in the History of the Book at the University of London, and even though it will be the first time in 13 years that I won’t have a Spanish class, I will always hold what I’ve learned in Hispanic Studies close to my heart.

I began studying Chinese in high school, and William & Mary’s program served as a perfect continuation for my study of Chinese language and culture. With the help of W&M faculty, who recommended me to the program, I was able to study abroad in Beijing during Fall 2016 through Middlebury Schools Abroad. Both language and culture faculty in the Chinese department have cheered me on and improved my language skills immeasurably, and I’ve developed a love for Chinese culture, history, and politics because of their help. I plan to use Chinese in my future career, and I’ll be studying in Shanghai for a year beginning this fall, thanks to the advising and mentorship I’ve received from the Chinese department.

My time in the German Studies Program at W&M has contained some of my favorite experiences of my college career, including learning from some of the finest professors and meeting some of the coolest people. As a freshman, I decided to begin taking German courses even though I had already fulfilled my language requirement. Little did I know that despite the grueling task of constant class participation, German classes would become some of the ones I most looked forward to. Once I participated in the Potsdam summer program after my sophomore year, I finally made the decision to undertake a German Studies major to supplement my Anthropology major. Although I will pursue a career in archaeology after graduation, I sincerely hope that I’ll be able to continue incorporating German into my life, whether it be watching episodes of Tatort or working at a German archaeological site.

As a major in German Studies at William & Mary, I had the opportunity to spend a year abroad through the exchange program we have with the University of Münster. I would not trade my time in Münster for anything; it brought me friendships with people from around the world, I got to immerse myself in the culture, and I experienced what it meant to take a course load entirely in German. In Germany, I learned independence and how to adapt quickly to new situations. In the near future, I hope to work doing freelance photography before applying to grad school. I believe the skills I acquired through my time abroad will translate well to my work as a photographer, and if a grad school opportunity arises in Germany, all the better.