In terms of academic experiences, I was fortunate enough to complete a ten-day service-learning trip in Belize and to spend nine weeks studying in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. In Spain, I lived with a host family and expanded my language skills while taking twelve credits of courses. I was able to travel to several Spanish cities and Copenhagen, Denmark in my free time. Through the Spanish and Portuguese department’s experiential learning course, I volunteered as a teaching assistant at Clear Creek Elementary and as a translator with the Jacobs School of Music. I also spent my senior year working as a peer-writing tutor through the Writing Tutorial Services, where I tutored my peers in writing in both English and Spanish.

Throughout my undergraduate career, I was pleased to finish a research project on the use of pre-verbal particles in Hakha Lai, a Burmese language spoken by many immigrants in Indiana. Likewise, I also finished a capstone paper through the International Studies department which focused on how gendered language was used to advocate for the preservation of the military state in print media during Argentina’s Dirty War.

In August, I will move to Madison, Wisconsin and work as a Technical Solutions Engineer with Epic Systems, a healthcare software company. I am excited to develop new skills in coding and healthcare administration in this position! None of my accomplishments would have been possible without the support of my family, the Wells Scholars Program, and the incredible faculty in the Spanish and Portuguese department. I would like to specifically thank Professors Cohn, Herrera, and Mejiás-López for their encouragement.