Undergraduate Perspective: Austen Ott

Austen Ott

My time at Indiana University has been spent in every corner of campus. At the end of the Spring 2021 semester, I will graduate with Honors degrees in both Neuroscience and Spanish, with a concentration in Hispanic Literature. I will additionally have minors in Chemistry, Biology, and Latinx Studies.

Throughout my four years, I played as a flanker for the Club Rugby Program, serving as Treasurer for two years and Vice President in my senior year. I was also heavily involved in the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS), where I held the positions of Diversity Co-Chair and Director of Internal Affairs. During my senior year, I had the pleasure of serving on the 99th Board of Aeons, a student advisory board to IU President Michael McRobbie that pursues a year-long research project on timely and relevant issues at the university.

In Summer 2019, I studied abroad in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Living in the suburbs of Madrid for over two months allowed me to experience full Spanish immersion while studying bilingual translation, Spanish literature, and medical Spanish. I also interned at a local hospital, engaging with patients in Spanish and learning about the Spanish healthcare system. Following the program, I was initiated into Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, in my junior year.

I was the 2019 recipient of the Jeffrey Haynes Hillis LGBTQ+ Award for leadership on LGBTQ+ issues on campus. As an additional recognition of my leadership and contributions to the IU community throughout my undergraduate career, I received the Kate Hevner Mueller Senior Recognition Award prior to graduation.

I will begin medical school this fall, where I aim to pursue a combined MD/MPH. After my medical education, I intend to work as a primary care community physician, providing healthcare access to underserved and marginalized populations. I hope to use my Spanish skills to treat Spanish-speaking patients in my future career. Not only has my experience with the Spanish language through the Department of Spanish and Portuguese given me the skills necessary to communicate with the multitude of diverse populations of Spanish speakers across the world, but it has broadened my understanding of culture and society. I am grateful to all the faculty and staff of the Department who engaged me and gave me the opportunity to enrich my education and life through the study of Spanish.

Undergraduate Perspective: Austen Ott

Austen Ott

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